Berlin: Some 47,400 positions in Germany’s healthcare sector were unable to be filled by suitably qualified applicants in 2023/2024, suggesting that this is the area hardest hit by the country’s shortage of skilled labour, a new study has shown.
The problem has been exacerbated by the increased health demands in an ageing population, with Germany’s public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), predicting that the percentage of people aged 65 or older will grow from the current 21 per cent to 29 per cent by 2030.
Growing burden
The study showed that the greatest shortage was that of physiotherapists, with almost 11,600 unfilled vacancies.
The shortfall for dental assistants was 7,350, and 7,100 for healthcare and nursing staff, according to the study.
“An ageing population leads to an increasing demand for healthcare services. This increases the burden on existing skilled labour,” according to the authors of the study, carried out by the Competence Centre for Securing Skilled Labour at the German Economic Institute (IW).
Cross-sector problem
The study by the institute, which is affiliated with employers, also noted an average shortage of more than 530,000 qualified workers across all industries between July 2023 and June 2024.
The second-largest shortfall of skilled labour was in the field of preparatory construction-site work, construction installation and other finishing trades, where there were some 42,000 vacancies.
Construction electrics looked in vain to fill another 10,350 positions.
