Lack of Personnel: Lack of craftsmanship despite the economic crisis – also chiefs wanted

Despite years of economic crisis, a six -digit number of specialists is still missing in the craft. At the end of December, according to the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH), 125,500 vacancies were registered in the industry at the employment agencies, as a spokeswoman to open the Munich craft fair said.

Since the companies do not report all open positions to the Federal Agency, the actual need for specialists, according to ZDH estimate, is still considerably higher, and that is well over 200,000. Crafts President Jörg Dittrich asked the future reforms to overcome the continuing economic crisis from the future federal government at the opening of the fair.

Looking for bosses for over 100,000 companies

Last year, more than 19,000 apprenticeships in the craft were vacant due to the lack of suitable applicants. However, not only employees are looking for employees or trainees, but now a six -digit number of future bosses: there are over a million craft businesses in Germany. According to ZDH, around 125,000 of these companies – more than ten percent – will be the generation change with the handover to the next business owner in the next five years. “Look at the craft, that has golden ground,” said outgoing Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) at the opening event.

Handicrafts complains “still dying”

The craft is less hard hit by the crisis than the industry. At the end of last year, the vast majority of the companies still appreciated their situation as satisfactory or even good. However, expectations for the near future are steamed according to the latest ZDH economic report. Many companies not only suffer from a shortage of skilled workers, but also from the cost increases in recent years. A total of around 5.6 million people were employed in the craft in 2023, the number for 2024 is not yet available.

The Central Association complains of a “still dying” of craft businesses. Quite a few owners therefore give up healthy businesses financially – either because of cost increases and burdens from bureaucracy, taxes and levies, or because they do not find any successors. The ZDH estimates that around 80,000 jobs were lost in the craft last year – not only, but also because of this dying.

“Must be like the ax in the forest”

ZDH President Jörg Dittrich criticized the years and previously unsuccessful political discussions about improving German competitiveness: “I often see the faces affected in politics, but we cannot buy anything from those affected.” The trained mastermind of roofers demanded determined reforms from the future federal government to clear the bureaucratic jungle: “We have to be like the ax in the forest.”

Double top conversation with Scholz and Merz

With almost 850 exhibitors, the annual trade fair in the Bavarian capital is the most important event of the craft in Germany and traditionally visit to numerous politicians. On Friday, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his expected successor Friedrich Merz (CDU) meet the top of the four most important German business associations one after the other.