Work & Study In Germany

Guidance & Consultancy

German Economy, How to: Find a Job in Germany, Newsguide

Frightning – Continuing shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality industry

Thousands of jobs are still unfilled in the hospitality industry - there is a shortage of qualified applicants and trainees.

According to a recent study, there is no sweeping improvement in sight in the shortage of skilled workers in hotels, restaurants and catering establishments.

Just under 44,000 vacancies for skilled workers in hotel and restaurant professions were offset by only a good 29,000 suitably qualified unemployed people, reported the Competence Center for Securing Skilled Workers of the employer-affiliated Institute of the German Economy (IW).

This difference between vacancies and applicants is nothing new but every year the gap is widening. During the Corona pandemic, many restaurants and hotels have had to close and the employed professionals have looked for other jobs.

42.8 percent of vacancies currently unable to be filled by suitably qualified jobseekers

According to the report, the hotel industry is particularly affected, with 42.8 percent of vacancies currently unable to be filled by suitably qualified jobseekers, and the catering industry, where this applies to 40.1 percent of vacancies.

That’s no small number of unskilled workers in such a pivotal position in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Here, workers from abroad could take over important positions in this industry.

According to the study, the skills gap is greatest among cooks, where there is a shortage of 7,555 skilled workers nationwide.

“The sharp increase in skill shortages can be explained primarily by a lower supply of available unemployed workers rather than an increase in job openings,” the study says.

Many employed and unemployed people turned their backs on the hospitality industry in the wake of the Corona pandemic, it said. At the same time, fewer people have moved into the hospitality industry from other sectors, it said.

According to the study, the situation is made more difficult by the fact that no relief can be expected from the training market either. For years, it has been more difficult than average to fill training positions in the hospitality industry.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply