ERLIN (Reuters) – Wanted: Cheerful, chubby men, preferably with fluffy white beards and no criminal record, ready to work hard for one month.

Germany is running out of qualified Santa Clauses and needs to recruit and train them fast, a leading job agency says.

Germans are trying to shut out the financial crisis by taking comfort in traditional festivities, and there is an acute shortage of Santas to entertain children at shopping centers, Christmas markets and private parties.

"Being Santa is not an easy job," Jens Wittenberger, in charge of Santa Claus recruitment at the Jobcafe Munich, told Reuters Monday. "To be honest, not many people have what it takes to be a good Father Christmas."

The job center wants its Santas to be child-friendly, good organizers, reliable and have acting skills. They also need a clean police record.

"You can't have your Santa drive up in a car," said Wittenberger. "Every child knows that Santa travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer so we don't want to disappoint anybody." Santas are told to park their car a few streets away and walk.

"People are turning to traditions to protect their children from the 'evils of the real world', especially in the wake of this financial turmoil," Wittenberger said.

Recruitment sessions are being held in cities across the country, and while the job may be stressful, it's better than being jobless, Wittenberger said.

"Santas can make up to 60 euros ($75) an hour," he said. "That's not bad, is it?"

路透社柏林报道 招募：胖胖的乐天派男子，如有蓬松白胡子者最佳，无犯罪记录，做好一个月内辛苦工作的准备。

一家知名的招聘机构说，德国当前缺少合格的圣诞老人，目前德国急切去要招聘圣诞老人，并且当以最快的速度对招来的圣诞老人进行培训。

德国人目前试图通过传统的节日庆典活动来摆脱金融危机的阴影，而目前在德国的购物中心、圣诞节市场以及私人派对中可供孩子娱乐的圣诞老人数量严重不足。

慕尼黑一家招聘机构负责此次招聘工作的负责人扬斯.威登博格在周一对路透社记者说：“当圣诞老人可不是那么简单的，实话告诉你，目前可以胜任优秀的圣诞老人这一职位的人并不多。”

招聘机构要求圣诞老人必须对孩子友好、组织能力强、可信任并有表演才能，并且要无犯罪记录。

威登博格说：“你不能让圣诞老人开车来上班，每个小孩子都知道圣诞老人是要拉雪橇的，所以我们也不想让他们失望。”而事实上，圣诞老人上班时被要求把车停在几条街以外，然后走路来上班。

威登博格说：“德国人开始寻求传统节日庆典的帮助，让孩子们免受“真实世界邪恶力量”的伤害，尤其是在当前金融危机的背景下这种诉求会更强烈。“

“目前招聘工作已在德国各个城市展开，虽然说这个工作很有压力，但是总比丢掉饭碗强，而且圣诞老人还可以挣每小时60欧元（75美元）的工资，这不很好吗？“威登博格最后说道。