More and More Companies Lament Lack of Skilled Workers
More and more companies are lamenting a lack of skilled workers, according to a quarterly ifo Institute survey. In July the figure was 34.6 percent, up from 23.6 percent in April. This is the highest value since the second quarter of 2018 and the second highest on record. “With the economy picking up after the easing of pandemic restrictions, companies are now having difficulty finding qualified staff,” says ifo survey expert Klaus Wohlrabe.
In retail, the number of companies experiencing staffing bottlenecks almost doubled, from 15.7 percent in April to 30.6 percent in July. In wholesale, the figure rose from 16.1 percent to 24.7 percent. Neither sector has ever seen such a high proportion. The same was true in manufacturing, where in July, 27.6 percent of companies reported a shortage of skilled workers, up from 19.4 percent in April. Most affected in the service sector are employment agencies (75.4 percent), hotels and other accommodations (56.0 percent), and freight forwarders (54.6 percent).
