According to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW), more and more positions in the German chip industry cannot be filled. In 117 professions that are particularly relevant to the semiconductor industry, there has been a rapidly increasing demand for skilled workers over the last year, reported the IW in Cologne. While there were around 62,000 unfilled positions nationwide in the semiconductor industry in 2021/22, the experts counted an average of 82,000 in 2022/23. The “Rheinische Post” had previously reported on the report that the IW prepared for the industry associations BDI and Zvei.
What is wanted?
According to the IW, every second job seeks employees who have vocational training for specialist tasks. There is currently a lack of more than 40,000 qualified applicants in this group. The need for skilled workers in electrical engineering and mechatronics is particularly great.
For around every third vacancy, experts are sought, usually with a degree, who usually carry out highly complex activities such as planning and controlling production processes. Study author Sabine Köhne-Finster wrote that there would be a shortage of around 30,000 experts.
Around one in six jobs (around 12,200) are looking for specialists such as technicians or foremen who can carry out complex activities or monitor production processes.
The skills gap could jeopardize the successful establishment of new chip factories and the expansion of existing locations, according to the IW. As countermeasures, Köhne-Finster suggests training helpers in the metal industry and increasing female employment. “There should also be more incentives for older employees to stay in work longer.” Further efforts are needed to attract foreign skilled workers.
