There is a labor shortage in Germany and, if the unfavorable trend continues, there will be 7 million unfilled jobs in the next ten years or so. The government believes that the reform of work with migrants will change this situation.
German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil admitted in an interview with the Financial Times that employers are not exaggerating when they are worried about a shortage of workers. “If we don’t take action, there will be a shortage of 7 million workers in Germany by 2035,” he said. This, in turn, will have a negative impact on the development of the German economy.
¾ of companies cannot fill all vacancies
“The shortage of skilled workers is one of the main problems for companies in the German automotive industry,” Andreas Rade of the German Automotive Industry Association told DW. He noted that a supplier survey showed that more than three-quarters of companies are currently experiencing severe shortages.
The problem of labor shortage affects many industries.
“Since 2021, the situation has steadily worsened,” Thilo Brodtmann of the trade organization VDMA told Deutsche Welle. He acknowledged that more than 70% of companies in the sector have serious deficits.
The baby boom generation is retiring
DW has contacted more than a dozen companies and trade organizations from key sectors of the German economy. Nearly everywhere, journalists have heard that the lack of skilled workers is either the biggest or the second biggest problem facing their sector, apart from supply chain difficulties.
“This is a watershed moment for society,” Sabrina Pfeiffer of ZVEI, Germany’s digital sector trade body, told DW.
He noted that the baby boom generation is now retiring, which is already leading to a “war for talent” in the labor market. He says more than 40 percent of companies in the digital and electrical sectors are struggling to fill vacancies, and the semiconductor industry is particularly affected.
Germany wants to ease requirements for immigrants
The German government sees the solution in immigration. He is expected to pass sweeping immigration reform legislation in the coming weeks. The law is intended to ease Germany’s restrictive requirements for foreign workers with qualifications recognized in Germany. The government will also promote Germany as an attractive place to work with an international advertising campaign under the slogan “Fulfill Yourself in Germany”.
Critics of the law note that it does not soften the strict requirements for knowledge of the German language for future employees.
“The demand for knowledge of the German language is exaggerated,” says VDMA’s Brodtmann. – At present, a good command of English is sufficient to work in most industrial companies.
The German Employment Research Institute estimates that Germany will need to find 1.2 million foreign workers every three years by 2060 to prevent a shortage.
Source: Wprost
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