Labor market - Shortage of skilled workers in the chip industry
According to a study by the German Economic Institute(IW), more and more vacancies in the German chip industry cannot be filled. In 117 professions that are particularly relevant to the semiconductor industry, there has been a rapidly increasing demand for skilled workers over the past year, the IW reported in Cologne. While around 62,000 vacancies in the semiconductor industry were unfilled nationwide on average in 2021/22, the experts counted an average of 82,000 in 2022/23. The "Rheinische Post" had previously reported on the report, which the IW prepared for the industry associations BDI and Zvei.
What are they looking for?
According to the IW, employees with vocational training are needed for every second position for specialist tasks. There is currently a shortage of more than 40,000 qualified applicants in this group. The demand for specialists in electrical operating technology and mechatronics is particularly high.
Experts, most of whom have a degree, are being sought for around one in three vacancies and generally carry out highly complex activities such as planning and controlling production processes. There is a shortage of around 30,000 experts in this area, wrote study author Sabine Köhne-Finster.
Specialists such as technicians or foremen who can carry out complex activities or monitor production processes are needed for around one in six jobs (around 12,200).
According to the IW, the skills gap could jeopardize the successful establishment of new chip factories and the expansion of existing locations. As countermeasures, Köhne-Finster proposes the qualification of helpers in the metal industry and more female employment. "There should also be more incentives for older employees to stay in work longer." Further efforts are needed to attract foreign skilled workers.
Read also:
- The Institute of the German Economy (IW) in Cologne conducted a study that highlighted a growing issue in the German chip industry: an increasing number of vacancies remain unfilled.
- The semiconductor industry, according to the report, has seen an average of 82,000 unfilled vacancies in 2022/23, up from 62,000 in 2021/22.
- The German Economic Institute (IW) identified a major shortage of skilled workers in two categories: employees with vocational training for specialist tasks and experts with degrees for complex activities like planning and controlling production processes.
- Specifically, the report found a lack of over 40,000 qualified applicants in the first category, while the demand for experts in the second category exceeds 30,000.
- The BDI and Zvei, along with the "Rheinische Post," had previously reported on this issue, which could impact the establishment and expansion of chip factories in Germany.
- The IW suggests several potential solutions, including qualifying helpers in the metal industry, encouraging more female employment, offering more incentives for older employees to continue working, and attracting foreign skilled workers to fill the gap in the electronics industry.
Source: www.stern.de
