The consequences of the shortage of skilled workers in the economy
The regular restaurant is open fewer days a week, companies have to turn down orders, robots are taking on more tasks: These are concrete consequences of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany. According to a company survey, this has long since spread across the German economy.
Every second company is unable to fill vacancies, at least in part, because it cannot find suitable workers. This is the result of the new Skilled Workers Report from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).
The skilled labor situation remains very critical despite economic stagnation, said Deputy DIHK Managing Director Achim Dercks. The staff shortages are now affecting almost all sectors and professions. According to the DIHK, information from more than 22,000 companies was evaluated for the report.
Many vacancies remain unfilled
According to the DIHK, there is a shortage of qualified professionals with dual training. The biggest recruitment problems are in industrial companies, for example in machine tool manufacturing, mechanical engineering and electrical equipment manufacturers. However, there are also staff shortages in construction, the security industry, cleaning services, healthcare and social service providers.
Sectors in which staffing problems are reported comparatively rarely include advertising and market research, the real estate industry and the printing industry. However, this is not primarily due to the fact that staff are easy to find, but rather to the comparatively low demand for personnel.
According to a current estimate by the DIHK, a total of 1.8 million jobs remain unfilled. In mathematical terms, this means that more than 90 billion euros in added value will be lost this year. This corresponds to more than 2 percent of gross domestic product.
According to the DIHK, the shortage of labor and skilled workers is likely to increase further due to demographic developments. Fewer young people are entering the labor market than older people are leaving it - around 400,000 fewer per year.
The consequences of the shortage of skilled workers
According to the survey, 82% of companies expect negative consequences from the shortage of skilled workers and labor. These would be added to the already considerable challenges and uncertainties, such as high energy costs. Concrete consequences are: 16 percent of companies are investing less in Germany, according to the survey. The DIHK called these alarming figures. The bottlenecks are jeopardizing success in important key technologies.
Six out of ten companies see an additional burden on the existing workforce. Almost 60 percent of companies said they expected labor costs to rise. Dercks spoke of an "employee market": In the wake of staff shortages, salaries are rising in order to attract and retain workers and specialists - so from the employees' point of view, this is actually a positive development.
According to the DIHK, four out of ten companies expect that they will have to turn down orders and lose them because they lack the necessary staff - and that they will have to limit their range of services. This means, for example, reduced opening and service times and longer waiting times. To reduce the shortage of skilled workers, almost one in four companies expects increased digitalization, the use of artificial intelligence and robots.
What to do about staff shortages?
"Where there are large gaps in skilled workers, there are often also structural problems such as poor pay and poor working conditions," said Anja Piel, member of the Executive Board of the German Trade Union Confederation. "For companies, this means that anyone looking for skilled workers must first and foremost ensure better conditions and collectively agreed pay. Smart companies can also do something for training and further education, more employment for women and older people, integration of the unemployed and attractive working time models."
For the traffic light coalition, it is important to do everything politically to make better use of existing potential on the labor market. "Obstacles must be removed for people who are unable to enter the labor market or who would like to work but cannot because they are caring for family members or children or have difficulties with their right of residence," said Piel. Immigration of skilled workers under fair and good conditions could also make a sustainable contribution.
According to the DIHK survey, 55% of companies would consider hiring people from so-called third countries. The German government wants to facilitate immigration from non-EU countries with the new Skilled Immigration Act. "Implementation is crucial," said Dercks. Visa procedures must be accelerated, for example, as there are months of waiting times. The entire administrative procedure for immigration must be digitalized.
- The labor market struggles in numerous sectors due to the shortage of skilled workers, leading companies to consider hiring talent from non-EU countries, as suggested by 55% of surveyed companies.
- The labor shortage has significant consequences on the German economy, with 82% of companies expecting negative impacts, including reduced investment, increased labor costs, and lost orders due to limited resources.
Source: www.dpa.com
