Germany will need increased immigration to prevent the danger of severe labor shortages undermining productivity and threatening a successful energy transition, the country's economy minister said, warning that Europe's largest economy was facing a demographic crisis. reports Reuters.
"Today we have 300,000 vacancies and we expect this to increase to a million and more," said Robert Habeck, leader of the Green Party, at a news conference. "If we do not fill this gap, we will have real productivity problems."
"Naturally, (this means) a better combination of qualifications, training and opportunities for families and jobs, but certainly in Germany also increased immigration in all areas, for engineers, craftsmen, caregivers. We have to organize this, "said Habek, who is also vice chancellor in Germany's new tripartite ruling coalition led by Social Democrat Olaf Scholz.
The German Institute of Economics estimates that the workforce will shrink by more than 300,000 this year, as there are more older workers who are retiring than young people who are now entering the labor market.
This gap is expected to increase to more than 650,000 in 2029, leaving an accumulated shortage of people of working age in 2030 of approximately 5 million. The number of employed Germans has risen to nearly 45 million in 2021, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
After decades of low birth rates and uneven immigration, the shrinking workforce is a belated demographic bomb for Germany's state pension system, with fewer employees burdened with the task of financing the pensions of a growing mass of retirees who enjoy longer of life.
The ruling parties have agreed in coalition talks to reduce barriers to skilled workers from abroad and make work more attractive again with a variety of measures, including raising the national minimum wage to 12 euros an hour.
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