Economic situation - Labor market 2023 has developed "robustly" in NRW
The labor market in North Rhine-Westphalia has developed "robustly" in 2023 despite a slight increase in unemployment. This is the assessment of the NRW employment agency, the state association of business associations and the DGB NRW. Due to the economic downturn, unemployment rose by an average of just under 39,000 to a good 707,000 people registered as unemployed, the institutions reported on Friday. The rate was 7.2 percent. At the same time, the number of people in employment subject to social insurance contributions rose to a new high. The employment agency expects the annual average to be just under 7.4 million employees.
Employment agency boss Roland Schüßler described the lack of qualifications of many jobseekers as the biggest construction site on the labor market in NRW. "While the labor market for skilled workers was only slightly affected, the chances of finding a new job are decreasing for workers without qualifications," he said, referring to figures from last year: 23.1 percent of unskilled workers in NRW were unemployed in 2022. In contrast, the rate for people with a vocational qualification was only 3.2 percent.
"Further training and qualifications are the topics that remain high on the agenda in terms of labor market policy," he emphasized. This applies both to employees without sufficient qualifications and to refugees. In this context, Schüßler referred to the refugees from Ukraine. They often have precisely the potential that is needed in areas where there is a shortage of skilled workers.
A qualification offensive is essential, said Anja Weber, Chairwoman of the DGB NRW. The unused potential has been known for a long time. "Now is the time to finally tap into it," said Weber. The following applies to mini-jobbers as well as the unemployed, refugees, young people and women: "There are many people in these groups who are just waiting for a fair chance on the job market."
Entrepreneur President Arndt Günter Kirchhoff attributes the new peak in employment to the "great commitment of employers to securing jobs and skilled workers". "Companies are holding on to jobs and apprenticeships despite difficult conditions and are hiring, often at the expense of their own substance," he emphasized. However, the robust labor market should not be taken for granted. "The economic situation is serious." Among other things, Kirchhoff criticized excessively high energy costs, crippling bureaucracy and excessively high taxes and duties.
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The labor market assessment in Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), aligns with the statewide assessment, indicating a robust development despite an increase in unemployment. The Federal Employment Agency in NRW identified a lack of qualifications among many jobseekers as a significant challenge. Anja Weber, Chairwoman of the DGB NRW, emphasized the need for a qualification offensive to tap into the unused potential of various groups, including refugees.
Source: www.stern.de
