BERLIN – German manufacturers of machinery and equipment are increasingly short of skilled workers, a constraint that adds to the shortages in materials and intermediate goods that they are also suffering, the Ifo economic institute reported on Tuesday.
The Munich-based Ifo said its survey of some 4,000 companies showed the skills shortage extends beyond trained engineers, mechanics, and IT specialists, with a shortage of low-skilled employees emerging as well.
In the July survey, Ifo found 43.0% of manufacturing companies that it polled reported shortages of skilled workers, compared with 38.7% in April.
“Manufacturers of machinery and equipment are feeling the effects of layoffs they carried out before and during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Ifo industry expert Nicolas Bunde. “Now these companies are desperately seeking suitable staff.”
(Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Rachel More)
