Expert: shortage of skilled workers affects only a few companies
Although the demand for highly qualified employees in the first half of 2011 was higher than in the boom year 2000, the "problem pressure" is not as great as it was then, according to a study published on wednesday by the nurnberg institute for labor market and occupational research (IAB).
In the boom year of 2011, only eight percent of companies were unable to fill all their skilled worker positions, compared to ten percent in 2000, she says. However, researchers admit that "even a single vacant skilled worker position can be a problem for a company". Due to the growing proportion of older employees, the shortage of skilled workers will also increase in the coming years, the IAB points out.
Studies also show that many companies are now reacting to the impending shortage of skilled workers. This is how they keep their older employees in the company longer. Companies also took on a larger share of apprentices than in the past: in 2011, two-thirds of the young professionals were kept on, a record figure, he says. More companies are also providing training than in the past; in 2011, the figure was 53 percent, up from 45 percent in 2007.
