Despite the wave of layoffs, the shortage of skilled workers in these sectors is greater than ever

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While Sunrise is looking to lay off 180 employees, the economy is complaining louder than ever about a shortage of skilled workers; how does this work? The shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland is reaching a new level, according to recruitment agency Adecco and the University of Zurich. It increased by 24 percent compared to the previous year, as the latest edition of the annual skilled labor shortage index shows.

However, growth has slowed. Last year, the skilled worker shortage increased by 69 percent. The current 24 percent increase seems almost absurd. Inflation, the strong franc, the bleak global economic outlook and geopolitical uncertainties are responsible for the slowdown. Export-oriented sectors of the economy, including the hospitality sector, contributed less to staff shortages than the strong domestic economy, according to the survey.

But the involuntary respite caused by the economic slowdown will likely be short-lived. Adecco’s Swiss boss, Marcel Keller, emphasizes that not all Swiss employers will be able to avoid a shortage of skilled workers in the long term: “Factors such as the aging population, advancing digitalization and the transition to a green economy will continue to drive this future development.”

Computer scientists with worse prospects in the job market

According to the research, the largest shortage of qualified personnel is experienced in health professions. For example, there is a shortage of nursing staff or pharmacists. IT professions come in second. However, while the shortage of healthcare workers has increased rapidly, it has decreased in the IT field.

Google, Meta and Co. also laid off many people in Switzerland following the global technology crisis, and this is now being noticed. “The turbulence in the IT sector has left a clear mark on the job market,” says Yanik Kipfer (33) from the University of Zurich. In September alone, the number of unemployed people in the IT sector increased by 45 percent compared to the same month last year.

In third place is “Engineering and comparable experts”. These include mechanical engineers and heating planners. Technical occupations overall are significantly overrepresented in the top 10. This is becoming an increasingly big problem for Swiss industry. In particular, there is a shortage of not only engineers with university degrees, but also professional groups with apprenticeship qualifications. There is a shortage of electricians, polymechanics and similar personnel.

Too many bosses

However, there is staff surplus here and there: for example, among unskilled workers, general office and secretarial workers and managers who have lost their jobs due to digitalization. This also explains why the mass layoffs announced Monday at Sunrise do not contradict a shortage of skilled workers. The telecommunications provider announced that it would put the red pen on managers, not the call center or stores.

Source :Blick