Labor market - Saxony faces mammoth task in securing skilled workers
Saxony faces a mammoth task in securing the supply of labor and skilled workers in the coming years. This is the conclusion drawn by the Left Party from a major question in the state parliament. The facts and figures reveal numerous construction sites in this area. According to the Left Party, Saxony is particularly affected by the shortage. Almost one million people have left the state since 1990. 36.8 percent of employees subject to social insurance contributions are aged 50 and over - a nationwide record. According to statistics, 20,000 workers will be needed every year until 2025 to close the gap caused by people leaving the workforce.
Left: The market cannot fix demographics
Nico Brünler, labor market expert for the Left Party in parliament, accused the government of failing to act. A commission of inquiry had already pointed out 15 years ago that there was not enough skilled labor and young workers. However, not much had happened since then. The CDU always assumed that the market would sort everything out. But the market does not fix demographics. "We would be much further ahead today if the CDU-led governments had acted since then. The job potential of the people who already live here and those who are still moving here must be better exploited - through incentives and support."
"The problem will not be solved by letting people work even longer, as the CDU wants. If you want workers, you have to pay them fairly and offer good conditions," said Brünler. The state should lead the way by only awarding public contracts to companies that pay their employees properly. Brünler criticized the comparatively low level of collective bargaining coverage in Saxony. More than half of the companies owned by the state are not covered by collective agreements. The Left Party politician also cited the high number of vocational training drop-outs as a further problem. Last year, the 6000 mark was exceeded.
Potential of people with foreign roots underutilized
The Left Party sees a solution in making better use of the potential of people with foreign roots. Refugees should be able to prove their professional skills faster and better through practical work instead of on paper. "To this end, a pilot program should be launched with the skilled trades, and qualification checks should begin directly in refugee accommodation if possible. The immigration authorities should be obliged to be as benevolent as possible when deciding on applications for employment permits," it said. People of non-German origin are hard to find in the public sector.
Brünler drew particular attention to the shortage of doctors and teachers. The number of doctor vacancies had risen from 239 to 518 since 2015. There is a shortage of GPs in particular, but there is also a problem with ophthalmologists, dermatologists and child and adolescent psychiatrists. With regard to teachers, reaching retirement age is not the most important cause of the shortage. Saxony is losing far more teachers due to resignations, termination contracts and incapacity to work, among other things: "It must therefore also be due to the working conditions."
Brünler acknowledged that the government had provided very detailed answers to the 471 questions posed by his parliamentary group. Next week, the major interpellation will be discussed in the plenary session of the state parliament.
Major inquiry by the Left Party on the subject of skilled labor and workforce requirements in Saxony
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Source: www.stern.de
