Angela Merkel is to challenge the bosses of some of Germany’s largest companies to explain why they have not employed more refugees. At a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday evening the German chancellor will confront the CEOs over hiring and ask them what she can do to encourage them to take on more asylum seekers. The biggest recruiter is Deutsche Post DHL, which employs just over 100. Merkel is under pressure over her open-door policy, which has seen more than a million refugees arrive in Germany over the past 12 months, and is keen to show there is substance to her promise that newcomers will benefit Germany in the long term. Europe’s biggest economy faces a growing skills shortage with a working-age population due to decrease by six million people over the next 15 years.Merkel has told bosses that “everyone will benefit” the more refugees are integrated through the workplace. She will also appeal to their sense of social responsibility at a time when the economy is flourishing...Most German companies want to take a longer-term approach to future employees, ensuring that if they take someone onto their highly-structured apprenticeship programmes, which can last for up to four years, they have a long-term perspective of staying in Germany...