IT professionals, maintenance personnel and service workers – there is a shortage of skilled personnel in many industries. The skilled worker shortage is likely to increase further in the near future. This is the result of a study by job broker Dynasjobs AG.
The study assumes around 100,000 vacancies for 2022, and expects that number to double again next year. No more than 200,000 positions should be filled by companies in 2023. According to the study, this has enormous economic consequences for Switzerland.
The study’s authors also expect the shortage of skilled workers to continue to worsen. There are said to be 365,000 vacancies by 2025. However, the bottleneck will only reach its peak around 2030, according to the authors. This is because of the now retired baby boomer generation. Baby boomers follow them.
200 professions affected in 15 sectors
If you look at individual sectors, the healthcare sector is hardest hit, accounting for 17 percent of all open positions. There are also many vacancies in the construction and accommodation sectors. Both sectors have 13 percent open positions in their companies.
However, the economic impact of a lack of specialists in cross-industry jobs such as logisticians, delivery truck drivers or IT specialists is even greater. Together, these types of jobs account for 28 percent of all open positions across all industries. Since almost all companies depend on such people, the shortage here is particularly acute from an economic point of view.
Worse still, there is a shortage of skilled workers in Germany. For years Switzerland benefited from immigration from Germany due to higher wages. However, our northern neighbors also lack skilled workers, further complicating the situation in Switzerland.
Harsh consequences for the Swiss economy
In the long run, more and more people will feel a shortage of skilled workers. It may be due to longer waiting times in hospitals or higher prices for a wide variety of products. This is because a shortage of personnel in all parts of the supply chain is causing prices to rise.
In addition, companies that cannot meet the needs of personnel trained in Switzerland will gradually move abroad. The study primarily names the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The machinery, electrical and metals industries are also thought to be at risk. Overall, the study reveals that the cumulative economic damage caused by the shortage of skilled workers is around CHF 60 billion by 2025 alone.