BERLIN, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The shortage of skilled labor in Germany remained at a "very high level" in 2023, despite easing slightly, according to an annual report published by the Federal Employment Agency (BA) on Tuesday.
Around one in seven professions are facing a shortage of skilled labor, according to the report. Difficulties filling vacancies were recorded in 183 of around 1,200 professions that were assessed.
The decline in occupations with bottlenecks is "not surprising given the fall in job registrations," said Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of BA. "However, even with a recent rise in unemployment, companies are often unable to fill their vacancies due to a lack of skilled labor."
Also, Nahles warned "Due to demographic developments, many well-qualified and experienced skilled workers will continue to leave the labor market in the coming years."
The labor shortage is most pronounced in nursing and healthcare professions, skilled trades, road transport, childcare and social pedagogy. Technical occupations have been particularly affected in the IT sector and construction planning.
Without a shortage of skilled workers, German companies could generate an additional 49 billion euros (53.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024 at full capacity, according to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) from mid-May.
However, the gap is "likely to widen even further in the future," IW said. According to the study, the cost of lost production potential could rise to 74 billion euros by 2027.
With an ageing population, the Europe's largest economy is highly dependent on immigration. The government has therefore amended the Skilled Immigration Act to make it easier for qualified workers from non-EU countries to seek employment in Germany.
"We are ensuring that the labor and skilled workers that our economy has urgently needed for years can come to our country," said Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser when the last parts of the amended law came into force at the beginning of June. "This is crucial for the future viability of our country." ■