German Chancellor Merkel Takes Gamble With New Immigration Law

German Chancellor Merkel Takes Gamble With New Immigration Law
Chancellor Angela Merkel during an election rally in Stralsund, Germany, on Sept. 16, 2017. Reuters/Axel Schmidt/File Photo
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BERLIN—German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes a new immigration law will make it easier for foreign workers to find jobs in Germany, although her push to fill a record number of vacancies risks angering voters who still resent her open-door refugee policy.

With an aging population and a shrinking workforce, Germany needs greater flexibility to fill more than a million empty positions, business leaders say.