Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Corona, war and a shortage of skilled workers: companies are threatened

The economy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania sees its existence threatened by the simultaneous burdens.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Corona, war and a shortage of skilled workers: companies are threatened

The economy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania sees its existence threatened by the simultaneous burdens. On the occasion of the annual reception of the business associations, the employer president calls for more help from politicians.

Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The Association of Business Associations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (VUMV) has warned of a threatening overall situation for companies in the state. The Russian war of aggression is a burden on the economy, above all due to the price jumps in the energy sector. "Reliable price calculations are no longer possible, increasing planning uncertainty sets in, the fear of insolvency is spreading more and more," said employer president Lars Schwarz, describing the situation at the VUMV annual reception on Tuesday. The existential fear is now much more real than before. He therefore called for further relief packages from the federal government, above all to ensure urgently needed liquidity for companies.

The pandemic is being overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, said Schwarz. But he also emphasized: "Many sectors in the country have not yet been able to compensate for the losses of two and a half years." Thanks to the relief packages from the federal and state governments, the big wave of insolvencies did not materialize, but many small businesses stopped their activities due to a lack of prospects.

The employers' president also sees long-term problems in the country, as the shortage of skilled workers in many sectors is becoming increasingly apparent. "The consumer, the guest, the customer, the patient - they can all increasingly perceive the shortage and its consequences on a daily basis," said Schwarz. From the point of view of the employers' association, politicians have so far failed to come up with any viable solutions, and the head of the association described the immigration law for skilled workers as half-baked. However, Schwarz is behind the MV skilled labor strategy initiated by Economics Minister Reinhard Meyer (SPD). Many associations of the association were actively involved in describing possible solutions.

Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) was invited as the guest of honor on Tuesday evening. The reception had to be postponed due to the pandemic. It was actually planned for the beginning of the year.