The shortage of skilled workers in Germany affects critical sectors of society – from nursing and healthcare professions to technical fields. With a growing number of unfilled positions, currently approaching 767,000, the economy and politics must urgently react to maintain operations and ensure the country’s future viability. This article highlights the causes, consequences, and the most promising strategies Germany is using to address this pressing issue.
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Mr. Stephan Dorn
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The shortage of skilled workers in Germany is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. With over 300 out of 801 professions already suffering from an acute lack of qualified personnel, the economy faces significant cutbacks. Companies struggle with revenue losses and face one of the greatest threats to their development. This situation results from various causes: from global competitive structures to increasing vacancy periods, a general labor shortage, and high demand for skilled workers in certain circumstances.
The cross-sector skilled worker strategy introduced by the federal government in autumn 2022 aims to remedy this. But how can these plans be implemented when nearly 767,000 positions nationwide remain unfilled?
A skilled worker shortage occurs when more qualified job openings exist than available workers. This imbalance in the labor market is particularly persistent in Germany. Long-term vacant positions are a clear indication of this shortage, which urgently needs to be addressed.
The sectors most affected by the skilled worker shortage in Germany include social, health, and technical professions. This leads not only to supply shortages but also makes maintaining normal operations difficult. Especially affected are:
These sectors are essential for the functioning of society and the well-being of people.
The shortage of skilled workers is not uniform across Germany. Particularly in parts of Eastern and Southern Germany, this problem is pronounced. Rural areas and the East of the country struggle with the emigration of their skilled workers, exacerbated by the attraction of urban areas or neighboring countries.
Given such a challenge, it becomes clear: the immigration of skilled workers from abroad is a key solution. The federal government has recognized this and firmly anchored the integration of refugees and the utilization of migrants’ potential in the labor market in its strategy to secure skilled workers.
The EU Blue Card and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act are the legal pillars on which qualified immigration to Germany is built. Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasizes the importance of these laws for the German economy and securing the skilled worker base. To simplify and expedite the immigration of skilled workers, the federal government plans to reduce bureaucratic hurdles.
The Opportunity Residence Permit additionally allows an 18-month probationary stay, which can lead to long-term residency under certain conditions.
The integration of refugees into the German labor market is a success story, significantly shaped by welcome guides. In 2018, they mediated almost 10,000 refugees, over 2,500 of whom were integrated into dual training programs.
Innovative pilot projects like THAMM, supporting labor migration between North Africa and Europe, are pioneering the future of migration. Such projects demonstrate how international cooperation can explore new ways of securing skilled workers.
Some providers offer the placement of foreign skilled workers as a service for companies. Approaches and professionalism vary greatly among providers. Unfortunately, some “bad apples” in this field charge high fees to the workers being placed.
Companies are not helpless against the skilled worker shortage. By modernizing the education system and expanding further education measures, they can actively counteract it. But there are other strategies companies can pursue.
Further education plays a crucial role in combating the skilled worker shortage. The new Further Education Act strengthens training promotion and simplifies access to educational measures.
For companies, it is particularly important to continuously further educate their employees to meet changing requirements.
An attractive working environment can reduce the willingness to change jobs. Flexible working time models can help retain the experience of baby boomers. However, rising wages in shortage sectors can also lead to higher production costs and affect competitiveness.
The federal government encourages companies to harness the benefits of a diverse workforce. The potential of women and people with a migration background should be activated through targeted measures. Cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency can be helpful here.
Political measures are essential for sustainably combating the skilled worker shortage. The new skilled worker strategy of the federal government aims to increase labor participation and better utilize the potential of refugees.
Reducing bureaucratic hurdles to promote the immigration of skilled workers from abroad is a key point here.
The Further Education Act, which came into force in July 2023, offers a training guarantee and introduces qualification money. It replaces state-specific regulations and simplifies further education promotion.
The return of experienced experts from retirement can help reduce the skilled worker shortage. Companies like BMW already demonstrate the value of returning retirees’ experience.
Demographic change and low birth rates exacerbate the skilled worker shortage in Germany. By 2030, a decline of about 3.9 million workers is expected. This trend could affect various industries and sectors.
To address the skilled worker shortage, an increase in the retirement age is being demanded.
Particularly in Western Germany, the demand for older workers is rising.
Digitalization fundamentally changes the world of work and creates new job profiles and qualification requirements.
Visionary approaches and entrepreneurial innovation strategies are crucial for the long-term overcoming of the skilled worker shortage.
The dual transformation of the world of work places new demands on the competencies of skilled workers.
By qualifying unemployed and unskilled workers, the skilled worker gap could be significantly reduced.
New employment models such as self-organized teams and virtual organizations can contribute to solving the skilled worker shortage.
The multifaceted challenges of the skilled worker shortage require rethinking at all levels. From the immigration of qualified skilled workers to the further education and qualification of domestic workers to political decisions – only through comprehensive and cooperative approaches can the problem be sustainably solved.
The main causes of the skilled worker shortage in Germany are global competition for well-trained workers, increasing vacancy times for open positions, and demographic factors such as low birth rates and the retirement of the baby boomer generation. These factors significantly impact the labor market.
The skilled worker shortage particularly affects social, health, and technical professions, crafts, and STEM professions. These sectors are crucial for the functioning of our society.
The immigration of qualified skilled workers significantly contributes to closing the skilled worker gap by easing immigration and integration through legal regulations such as the EU Blue Card and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act.
To combat the skilled worker shortage, the federal government has introduced a new skilled worker strategy that increases labor participation, boosts the immigration of skilled workers from abroad, and better utilizes the potential of refugees. Further education laws have also been reformed to simplify access to educational measures.
In the future, modern technologies, further education, qualification, and the integration of untapped labor potential will be important measures in the fight against the skilled worker shortage. Adapting to digital and ecological changes will also be significant.
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