Skills shortage in Germany: who is missing where?

According to the Federal Employment Agency, there were shortages in 200 of the estimated 1,200 occupations in 2022 and there are no signs of improvement in the medium term. The Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg, Germany, has just published the his analysis of the shortage of skilled labor in 2022 and some of the results are frightening. In one year the number of professions affected by shortages increased by 25%.

There was a shortage of nursing professionals, drivers, medical assistants, as well as in the construction sector, in the area of ​​childcare, automotive engineering and information technology. Compared to the previous year, hotels and gastronomy, metal construction and bus driving services were included in the list.

For the so-called “labor shortage analysis”, the Federal Employment Agency examined around 1,200 occupational sectors and evaluated them on the basis of a total of 14 indicators. There is a shortage in a given occupation when at least six indicators predominantly point to a bottleneck. They include, for example, the time taken to fill the advertised positions, the job-specific unemployment rate and salary evolution in the profession.

Many jobs for few skilled workers

According to the Federal Employment Agency, the start of 2022 has been promising. Supply bottlenecks appeared to be dissipating and the fallout from the pandemic had been overcome in many areas. Russia’s attack on Ukraine, however, in February 2022, was a defining event, prompting many to leave Ukrainian soil to seek refuge in, among other places, Germany.

These developments have also made themselves felt in the labor market. With the arrival of Ukrainian citizens, the second half of 2022 saw an increase in unemployment. However, corporate demand for new workers continued to grow and the number of vacancies reached a record high of nearly two million.

These findings, however, are not entirely new. As early as April, the Competence Center for Skilled Labor Insurance (KOFA) of the German Institute of Economics (IW) sounded the alarm. According to the body, which works to serve employers, more than 630,000 vacancies for skilled workers could not be filled last year because there were no suitably qualified unemployed available across the country.

Basically, the higher the qualification required, the more difficult it is to fill vacancies – this is the rule in today’s labor market, say IW experts.

According to the analysis by the Federal Employment Agency, there is currently no evidence of a general shortage of workers. In many occupations, the available labor supply also significantly exceeds the demand. Comparison with previous years, however, points to a growing shortage of skilled workers, which is reflected in a significant increase in the number of shortage occupations.

The German institution has identified shortcomings in categories such as nurses and health workers, professions that involve specialized manual skills, in the sales area – especially in the food trade – as well as in gastronomy and among professional drivers.

There are also bottlenecks for educators and physiotherapy and occupational therapy professionals, as well as vacancies in IT and electrical and communication technology. And there is still a lack of professional figures in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, social work, civil construction (architects and civil engineers) and teaching (in vocational training schools). Furthermore, the increase in digitization has exacerbated shortages in the software development industry.

Only small local differences

In 2022, there was no shortage of skilled manpower in either the mechanical engineering or industrial sectors. In several states, however, there are signs that it could get worse in the coming years.

Specialists in the automotive, aerospace and marine industries are in short supply in all states. People with energy technology jobs also play an important role in Germany’s planned energy transition: In 2022, there was a shortage of qualified energy technicians in all German states.

Bottlenecks in the nursing professions have been felt throughout the country for years, with no forecast of relief in the medium term, especially in the context of the country’s demographic evolution. In medicine and non-medical therapy, bottlenecks are mainly found in the areas of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. In 2022, there wasn’t a single state that didn’t have bottlenecks.

No improvement in sight

Across the country, the year 2022 also saw a bottleneck in the construction and civil engineering professions. In the differentiation by state, however, small deviations could be observed, as in the building occupations in Berlin-Brandenburg. Architects and civil engineers, in turn, are in short supply across the country.

In the area of ​​IT specialists, bottlenecks have been evident throughout the country for years and nothing is likely to change in the foreseeable future. Instead, it seems that demand is set to increase further. In 2022, there were bottlenecks in the area of ​​software development and programming.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.