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Germany's Growing Skilled Worker Crisis

Germany faces a severe skilled worker shortage, impacting healthcare, construction, and public administration most significantly. The aging population is exacerbating the problem.

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German

Germany

EconomyGermany Labour MarketJobsWorkforceShortage

Competence Center For Skilled Labor Shortages (Kofa)Institute Of The German Economy (Iw)Dpa-Infocom

Philipp Herzer

What is the most affected sector by the skilled worker shortage in Germany?: Germany's healthcare sector faces the most significant shortage of skilled workers, with approximately 47,400 unfilled positions in 2023/2024. This is according to the Competence Center for Skilled Labor Shortages (Kofa) at the Institute of the German Economy (IW).
Which three professions face the biggest shortages in the healthcare sector?: The largest shortages are in physiotherapy (almost 11,600 unfilled positions), dental assisting (7,350), and nursing (7,100). An aging population is expected to exacerbate this problem.
Which sectors rank third, fourth, and fifth in terms of skilled worker shortages?: The public administration, defense, and social security sector has the third-largest gap (41,250 unfilled positions), while retail (29,800) and the social services sector (28,000) follow.
What is the second most affected sector by the skilled worker shortage, and which sub-sectors are most impacted?: The second-largest skills gap is in the construction sector (42,000 unfilled jobs), particularly in electrical work (10,350) and HVAC (8,700). These shortages are contributing to slowdowns in housing construction.
What is the overall trend in the skilled worker shortage, and how are the shortages in social and healthcare affecting other sectors?: The shortage of skilled workers in social and healthcare sectors negatively impacts other professions. Limited childcare and care services force parents and caregivers to reduce their working hours, adding to workforce constraints. The overall skills gap has slightly decreased recently but remains historically high.

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