Skilled Workers Wanted: Which Cities Offer Better Online Availability
Whether it’s bathroom renovations, roof repairs, or installing a new heat pump – the demand for skilled trades in Germany remains consistently high. Yet those searching for a tradesperson in larger cities often find empty results online. Our new analysis examines the availability of tradespeople and their digital visibility using Google search volume and Yellow Pages listings. The results are striking: trades businesses are far harder to find in metropolitan areas than in small and medium-sized towns. While big cities struggle with a massive demand–supply gap, small towns are often oversupplied.
High Demand, Low Online Presence in Big Cities
In Germany’s top 10 largest cities, the average monthly search volume for tradespeople is 6.67 per 1,000 residents – the highest across all city sizes. However, the average number of results is just 1.24 per 1,000 residents. The clash between high demand and low supply/digital visibility is most extreme in Frankfurt (0.05 results/search), Berlin (0.13), and Stuttgart (0.15).
Oversupply in Small Towns
Small towns record nearly eight times as many tradespeople (9.62 per 1,000 residents) compared to large cities. Leaders include Korntal-Münchingen and Gerlingen, boasting the highest number of tradespeople per 1,000 residents. In terms of supply–demand ratio, these towns are clearly oversupplied, with 4.28 and 3.27 online hits per search respectively. In other words: tradespeople in small towns are not only more numerous but also more visible online.
Mid-Sized Cities Fall Between the Extremes
With an average of 2.89 search results per 1,000 residents and a hit/search ratio of 0.96, mid-sized cities sit between the two extremes. The online offer is somewhat balanced, but still slightly below demand. Cities such as Ludwigsburg (1.23 results/search), Esslingen am Neckar (1.25), and Bad Friedrichshall (1.35) show that even here, digital discoverability has room for improvement.
Matthias Lange, Founder and CEO of Localyzer, comments on the findings:
“Our analysis makes one thing clear: the trades sector leaves significant potential untapped due to a lack of digital visibility. For many customers, businesses that cannot be found online simply don’t exist. Especially in metropolitan areas, tradespeople must strengthen their digital presence to meet high demand and improve utilization.”
About the Study
For the 10 largest large, medium, and small cities in Germany, Localyzer analyzed Google search volumes and Yellow Pages listings per 1,000 residents for common trades (bricklayers, carpenters, roofers, tilers, parquet layers, painters, plumbers, electricians, joiners, locksmiths, chimney sweeps) to calculate the hits/search ratio.
Image: https://unsplash.com/de/@gettyimages
