The weakening economy has slightly dampened the acute shortage of skilled workers in Germany: at the end of 2024, 28.3% of companies reported recruitment problems.
According to statistics from the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys, service providers remain particularly affected (35.1%). The staffing and temporary employment sector (62%) and the hospitality industry (42%) also continue to struggle with bottlenecks. In industry, despite cautious and in some cases restrictive personnel planning, 18% of companies are affected by a shortage of skilled workers, with peaks in the food industry (27%), mechanical engineering (23%) and the furniture industry (23%). The retail and construction industries also continue to report significant problems (20%).
Dr. Klaus Wohlrabe (Image: ifo)
According to economic researcher Dr. Klaus Wohlrabe, Deputy Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys, the shortage of skilled workers remains a structural problem. The weak economy is currently dampening demand for skilled workers, which is temporarily alleviating the shortage. According to Dr. Wohlrabe, however, demographic change will further exacerbate the bottlenecks in the coming years: "In the long term, the shortage of skilled workers will increase again."
