People are recruiting for workers everywhere - whether on the Internet, in newspapers, on the radio or on television. Labor market experts did not expect a slump in the labor market for 2023. But employers are worried.
Halle (dpa/sa) - The regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency expects a slight increase in unemployment in Saxony-Anhalt in 2023. At the same time, employment will increase, but less than the average in Germany, said Markus Behrens, head of the Saxony-Anhalt-Thuringia regional office of the Federal Employment Agency in Halle. According to a forecast by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), there will be an average of 77,600 unemployed in Saxony-Anhalt by 2023.
According to the information, the number of employees subject to social security contributions of around 805,600 (2022) in Saxony-Anhalt will increase by 0.4 percent on average in 2023, nationwide and in eastern Germany by 0.9 percent within a year. The main reason for the significantly lower growth in Saxony-Anhalt is the demographic development. This goes hand in hand with a shortage of workers, since there are not enough young people for the labor market. "We are in a very competitive market for employees," says Behrens.
In other countries, too, there is a lack of well-trained workers. Employees are advertised everywhere, whether through the media or even on vehicles. "The market needs significantly more qualified immigration," he said. "Because even the children who are born today will only be available for the labor market after school and training in 20 years," he said. According to Behrens, the employment agencies will step up their efforts to bring more skilled workers from abroad to Saxony-Anhalt. There are examples such as nurses from El Salvador and the Philippines, doctors from Mexico or catering workers from Vietnam.
According to Behrens, there is currently a great deal of uncertainty among employers as to how the business situation will develop. "A high risk factor is the energy crisis," said Behrens. In addition, there are high raw material prices and delivery problems. "We notice the uncertainty in the declining job reports and new hires," he said.
Now it is important that government support packages reach the companies. "So that they stay with the pole," said Behrens. Otherwise there is a risk that companies in particular that need a lot of energy for production could shut down areas or relocate to cheaper countries abroad.
However, labor market experts did not expect a slump in the labor market in 2023, since in almost all areas of the economy not only skilled workers but also less qualified employees are needed. Most recently, 77,800 unemployed were registered in the country (November 2022), more than a third (37.4 percent) of whom were without a job for a year or more. The unemployment rate in Saxony-Anhalt was 7.1 percent in November. According to the information, around 21,600 job offers are in stock at the employment agencies in the country.
