Posting Jobs to the German Employment Agency: A Staffing Guide
Oct. 23, 2026 · Franziska Kufner, Loop Talent · 6 min read
Photo: Bernd Dittrich / Unsplash
There's no legal requirement, but the BA job board (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Germany's Federal Employment Agency) is one of the cheapest applicant channels available to staffing agencies. Employers "should" report open jobs (§ 2(3) SGB III), but aren't required to. Publishing is free, and the job board reaches exactly the candidates staffing agencies need for entry-level and skilled-trade roles.
Three paths lead into the job board: the Employer Service (individual jobs, by phone), an employer account (a handful of jobs, done by hand), or the HR-BA-XML interface (many jobs, automatically from your own software).
As of: October 2026
Why reporting voluntarily still pays off
No requirement doesn't mean no upside. Several things speak for it:
- It's free. According to the BA, publishing on the job board is free, unlike most commercial job boards.
- Exactly your target audience. The job board is searched by people registered as unemployed or job-seeking with the agency — often exactly the candidates staffing agencies need for entry-level and skilled-trade roles.
- Active referrals. With a placement order, the Employer Service actively suggests matching candidates.
- EU-wide reach. Through the interface, you can request publication on EURES, the EU's job portal.
For context: in September 2026, 660,000 jobs were registered with the BA and nearly 3 million people were unemployed (BA press release no. 37/2026). We couldn't find a current user count for the job board itself — the BA cited 800,000 daily users back in 2019 (BA, Faktor A).
Three ways to report jobs to the BA
Our rule of thumb: automatic transfer pays off from around ten simultaneously open jobs. Below that, the employer account is enough.
| Path | One-time effort | Effort per job | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer Service, by phone or form | None | High: submit every job individually, report changes separately | Individual jobs, placement orders |
| Employer account in the job board | Low: request login credentials from the Employer Service | Medium: create, maintain and delete every job by hand | Small teams with few jobs |
| HR-BA-XML interface | High: cooperation agreement with the BA, client certificate, technical integration | None: jobs are transferred, changed and deleted straight from your own software | Many or frequently changing jobs, multiple branch offices |
The HR-BA-XML interface is built for "fully automated transfer of large volumes of data," as the BA puts it. One certificate covers every branch office.
How Loop does it: Loop automatically transfers active jobs to the job board via HR-BA-XML. Deactivated jobs get deleted at the BA, the BA's own error messages land directly on the affected job, and Loop warns you in good time before the certificate expires. You find the right BA occupation code by search while creating the job. More on the BA reporting feature page.
Step by step
Via the employer account (few jobs):
- Request login credentials from the Employer Service, free of charge on 0800 4 555520 (a German toll-free number).
- Select "New job posting" in the account.
- Pick the matching occupation title from the BA's own directory — this determines whether candidates can find the job at all.
- Upload your company logo. It then appears in job search results.
- Maintain the job and delete it as soon as it's filled.
Via the HR-BA-XML interface (many jobs):
- Check whether an employer account already exists; if not, have the Employer Service set one up.
- Request and sign the cooperation agreement by email with the BA's account and alliance partner management team.
- Download the certificate — the link and password arrive in two separate emails.
- Connect your software. User guides, catalogs and sample files are in the BA's download area.
- Transfer jobs. Changes and deletions then run automatically from that point on.
If your software already uses the interface, steps 4 and 5 don't apply — you just enter the certificate once.
What gets a job on the job board actual applications
From our experience in staffing, five things decide how many applications a posting gets:
- A specific title. "Forklift driver (m/f/d) in Kassel" gets found; "Warehouse associate" doesn't.
- The hourly wage is in the ad. For entry-level and skilled-trade roles, that's often the first thing candidates look at.
- Shift and start date are clear. "Early shift, starting Nov. 3" answers the two most common follow-up questions before they're asked.
- One job per location. Candidates search by location. One posting covering several cities doesn't match any single search well.
- Applying works without a cover letter. A phone number or a short form is enough. Many candidates apply from their phone.
Common mistakes when reporting jobs
Most BA rejections come down to mundane causes:
- Wrong occupation code. Every job needs a code from the BA's BERUFENET occupation directory. The wrong code means the job doesn't surface in search.
- Postal code and state don't match. The BA checks addresses against Deutsche Post's postal code directory.
- Required fields are missing or contradictory — for example a start date after the end date.
- Filled jobs stay online. Candidates apply to jobs that no longer exist. That costs time and damages your reputation with candidates.
- The certificate expires. The HR-BA-XML client certificate is time-limited and needs renewing. After that, jobs stop transferring, often without anyone noticing.
Frequently asked questions
Do staffing agencies have to report open jobs to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit? No. Section 2(3) of the German Social Code III (SGB III) only recommends it ("should"). There's no deadline and no fine for skipping it.
What does it cost to publish a job on the BA job board? Nothing. Publishing is free, including through the HR-BA-XML interface.
Do I need an agreement with the BA for the HR-BA-XML interface? Yes. You need an employer account and a cooperation agreement. The BA then sends you a personal certificate.
Do I need a separate certificate for every branch office? No. According to the BA, one certificate covers all branch offices.
How many open jobs make the interface worthwhile? The BA doesn't name a threshold. Our rule of thumb: from around ten simultaneously open jobs, the interface starts saving noticeable time.
Does Switzerland's job-reporting requirement apply to German staffing agencies? Only for jobs based in Switzerland. There's no comparable requirement for jobs based in Germany.