The shortage of skilled workers could further worsen as many dependent employees in so-called bottleneck professions belong to the baby boomer generation and are expected to reach the retirement age in the next years.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), which released the results of the microcensus on Monday, 44 percent of bus and tram drivers in 2023 were at least 55 years old, which is an overproportional high share. Across all professions, the proportion of dependent employees in this age group was 25 percent. Bus and tram drivers are among the professions in which the Federal Employment Agency identifies a particularly severe shortage of skilled workers.
In other bottleneck professions, the proportion of at least 55-year-olds is also overproportional high, including some in the transportation sector. For example, nearly four out of ten truck drivers in the goods transport sector were at least 55 years old (39 percent). A third (33 percent) of the road and tunnel workers, who are responsible for traffic safety, winter maintenance, and the maintenance of roads, belonged to the 55-plus age group. The proportion of older employees was also relatively high in the meat processing and sales sector (36 percent of those working in the sales of meat products were at least 55 years old, and 30 percent in the meat processing sector).
A similarly high proportion of older employees is expected to exacerbate the existing shortage of skilled workers in the coming years in professions such as gardening (34 percent), masonry (30 percent), and old-age care (27 percent, slightly above the average).
The highest proportion of at least 55-year-olds was found in the real estate and property sector with 33 percent, which includes, for example, the purchase, sale, and rental of buildings and properties as well as their management. The proportion of older employees was also overproportional high in agriculture and forestry, as well as in the fishing industry, at 28 percent. In the transportation and warehousing sector, which also includes a part of the truck drivers, 28 percent of the employees were 55 years or older. Although there are some professions in the retail sector with a relatively high proportion of the 55-plus age group, the proportion of older employees in the sector as a whole is slightly below average at 24 percent. In the hospitality industry, the partially existing labor and skill shortage is not further exacerbated by the increasing aging of the workforce: nearly one-fifth of the dependent employees in this sector was at least 55 years old, which is a proportion significantly below the average of 25 percent, according to the statisticians.