From 2011 onward, the population increase in Berlin
has been well above the national average. This applies
to individuals aged 15 to 64, as well as those aged 25 to
40—a group that generally has very high labor participation
rates (Figure 9).
The biggest influences on the demographically induced developments
in the labor force have been short- and medium-
term migration. Throughout the past few decades, Berlin
recorded migration surpluses—sometimes in quite significant
amounts—almost without exception. The origins
and destinations of these migrants have varied over time.
After the Wall fell, Berlin experienced a catch-up migration
from the city center outwards. Many Berliners
moved to the countryside, causing the city to suffer migration
losses (Figure 10). This development reached its
peak at the end of the ‘90s; thereafter, Berlin’s migration
loss through the population exchange with the Brandenburg
regions around the city began to decrease. It was
only recently that this migration loss was on the rise once
again. In comparison to the rest of the country, however,
Berlin’s migration gains over the past two decades has
been dependent on its economy: in times of an employment
upswing, Berlin’s migration gains rose, and when
labor demand weakened, they declined. In population
exchanges with foreign countries, Berlin almost always
came out with migration surpluses. This was particularly
noticeable in the first half of the ‘90s, when the biggest
influxes comprised asylum seekers from the Eastern
Bloc as well as migrants reuniting with family members
who were already living in Berlin. Berlin has also experienced
strong migration gains since 2011, when the freedom
of movement for citizens of countries that joined
the EU in 2004 was established.