Labor market - The skill shortage is getting worse
Specialists are often unable to be filled in Saxony-Anhalt. According to the Regional Directorate of the Labor Agency, shortages were apparent in 23 professional groups in the past year. This was three groups fewer than in 2022. At the same time, there are more professional groups that are close to experiencing a shortage.
The situation is particularly critical in the areas of healthcare and nursing professions, as well as in the processing industry. Shortages are also reported in technical professions, particularly in the areas of Mechatronics and Automation Technology, as well as in construction planning, in the hospitality industry, and in food retail. Newly observed is also the backfilling of teaching positions.
The labor market is gradually losing strength from the birth-rich generations
"The main reason is demographic development. More and more people from the birth-rich generations are retiring," explained Markus Behrens, Chairman of the Labor Agency in Saxony-Anhalt. Even with a recently declining unemployment rate, companies could not often fill their vacant positions due to the lack of specialists. "This trend will continue." On average, 41,700 vacancies were reported in Saxony-Anhalt last year.
The land is trying to attract more people into professions where a specialist shortage is imminent. Both the Social and Economic Ministries have launched their own programs for students. The Social Ministry focuses on career orientation offers during the transition from school to work, while the Economic Ministry recently expanded the apprenticeship premium, which students receive for apprenticeships in the trades, to include agricultural professions.
Focus on students and foreign specialists
Another focus, according to the Social Ministry, is the recruitment of foreign specialists. In addition to a cooperation with El Salvador for the training of nursing staff in Wittenberg, the Welcome Center is the first point of contact in the country for foreign specialists, explained a ministry spokesperson. The Investment and Marketing Company has recently entered into two cooperation agreements with the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga). This allows for the recruitment of trainees from Vietnam not only for the hotel industry but also for the trades.
A new state program is also set to start, which is intended to help foreign laborers navigate Sachsen-Anhalt and Germany. With so-called "Job Buddies," municipalities, chambers, associations, and educational institutions will in the future have a kind of caretaker structure, ensuring that social and professional integration is sustainable and relieving businesses.
Other federal states are also affected
The results of the occupational analysis were not surprising, said a spokesperson for the Economic Ministry. They affect other federal states as well. The goal is to support companies in Saxony-Anhalt in their search for qualified personnel.
For the analysis of shortages on the labor market, individual professional groups were evaluated by the Labor Agency based on six indicators, including the duration of vacant positions, the profession-specific unemployment rate, and wage development.
- To combat the labor shortage in specific professional groups, the Federal Employment Agency in Saxony-Anhalt has launched programs to attract students into these fields.
- In response to the critical situation in certain professions, the Saxony-Anhalt branch of the Labor Agency is collaborating with foreign countries, such as El Salvador, to train nursing staff and recruit trainees from Vietnam.
- To address the labor market's expert shortage, BMWi and both the Social and Economic Ministries have implemented initiatives, including career orientation programs, apprenticeship premiums, and the recruitment of foreign specialists.
- Recognizing the nationwide impact of the labor shortage, the Economic Ministry of Saxony-Anhalt is working with the Federal Employment Agency to analyze professional groups using six essential indicators, such as wage development and the duration of vacant positions.
