Germany has nearly 2M unfilled job vacancies, economy minister says

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany has nearly 2 million unfilled job vacancies, the country’s economy minister said on Wednesday.

Addressing lawmakers at the parliament, Robert Habeck said the shortage of skilled workers remains a serious problem, and poses a threat to the Germany’s economic growth.

“Our biggest concern is the shortage of skilled workers, we have more than 700,000 registered vacancies, but many companies are no longer reporting their vacancies. According to the estimates, we have nearly 2 million vacancies,” he said.

Habeck said with the recently adopted Skilled Immigration Act, the government will step up efforts to attract more qualified specialists, professionals from abroad to meet the needs of the labor market.

He added that Germany should make use of all domestic potential by promoting part-time jobs, and creating opportunities for those who want to continue work in old age.

The EU’s largest economy is currently facing a significant workforce shortage, especially in the information technology, renewable energy, construction, engineering, and medical sectors.