Berlin (dpa) – The state-owned company is looking for around 770 dispatchers, 740 train divers and around 740 technicians, a Deutsche Bahn representative told Bild newspaper.

“We feel that the competition in the job market is increasing and so we will train and qualify even more people,” Deutsche Bahn Board Member Martin Seiler said.

A company spokesperson confirmed the figure to dpa.

While Deutsche Bahn hired 22,000 employees in 2021, it loses thousands of employees every year, mainly to retirement.

There is an annual requirement of around 2,000 new engine drivers, the company said.

The number of Deutsche Bahn employees in Germany grew by 2,000 in the past year after an increase of 5,000 in 2020. The group employs around 220,000 people in Germany alone.