KfW-ifo Skilled Labour Barometer January 2021

The newly designed KfW-ifo Skilled Labour Barometer describes – in the aggregate and by economic sectors and regions – to what extent businesses see their business activity hampered by skills shortages. In the first quarter of 2021, skills shortages hampered the operations of 20.6% of businesses in Germany. Despite the lockdown, that was 5.6% more than in the third quarter of 2020. In major service businesses such as architecture and engineering firms, law firms, tax consultancies and information technology services, 30 to 50% of businesses are affected. The skills shortage may turn into a serious obstacle to economic growth in the coming years as further cohorts of baby boomers begin to retire and as a result of weak labour productivity growth. From now on, the KfW-ifo Skilled Labour Barometer will be published in the spring and autumn of each year.

KfW-ifo Skilled Labour Barometer January 2021(PDF, 150 KB, non-accessible)