A new study released Monday by the Institute for Economic Research (IW) projects a significant widening of the skills gap in Germany by 2028. The research indicates a nationwide shortage of 768,000 skilled workers is anticipated, posing challenges across various sectors.
The most acute shortages are expected in sales-related professions. Despite a decrease in employment within these roles, the shortfall is projected to increase, potentially leaving over 40,000 positions unfilled, particularly within the retail sector. This trend is largely attributed to demographic shifts and the increasing difficulty businesses face in finding replacements for retiring employees.
The metalworking sector is also facing substantial changes, with employment predicted to decline by approximately 14 percent, representing a loss of roughly 161,000 positions by 2028. This reduction is influenced by economic headwinds and a wave of retirements, most notably affecting less-skilled assistants within metalworking. A decline is also anticipated for skilled metal construction and metal processing specialists. Despite this overall decrease in numbers, a skills gap persists within these areas, with shortages of 7,400 and 5,300 respectively, due to a lack of new entrants into the workforce.
While the education sector is experiencing growth in employment – projections indicate an increase of around 136,400 positions by 2028 – a skills gap is also emerging, rising to nearly 31,000.
“The recent decline in the number of job vacancies should not obscure the structural skills shortage that exists in many areas” stated Alexander Burstedde, an IW expert. He emphasized that the most significant shortfall is concentrated within professions requiring completed vocational training, which accounts for more than half of the overall skills gap. Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to fill available training positions, further exacerbating the problem.