{
  "id": 2318040,
  "title": "Arbeitsmarkt: Ifo: Knapp einem Viertel der Firmen fehlen Fachkräfte",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/arbeitsmarkt-ifo-knapp-einem-viertel-der-firmen-fehlen-fachkrafte",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-21T06:10:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/arbeitsmarkt-ifo-knapp-einem-viertel-der-firmen-fehlen-fachkraefte/100248779.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Munich - According to a survey by the Ifo Institute, nearly one-quarter of German companies are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, with 23.2% of businesses reporting a lack of qualified employees. This figure represents an increase of nearly two percentage points from April. However, this rate remains significantly below the long-term average of nearly one-third (31.7%). Ifo expert Daria Schaller noted that the weak economy is currently limiting the demand for skilled workers. Nevertheless, she expects that as the economy recovers more strongly, the shortage of skilled workers is likely to increase noticeably again. The telecommunications sector was particularly affected, with 31.1% of companies lacking sufficient skilled workers, up from 16.3% in April. The legal and tax consultancy sector and accounting firms also showed a rise in the shortage of skilled workers, with the proportion increasing from 52.4% to 64.7%. In the industry sector, the shortage rose by 4.5 percentage points to 18.7%. Schaller emphasized that a higher number of unemployed individuals does not automatically mean more available skilled workers. The crucial factor is whether the qualifications and requirements of the open positions match those of the available workforce.",
  "summary": "Die Nachfrage nach qualifizierten Arbeitskräften steigt. Was das Ifo-Institut dazu sagt.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nearly one-quarter of German companies face skilled worker shortage",
    "23.2% of businesses report lack of qualified employees, up from 21.2%",
    "Telecommunications sector most affected with 31.1% shortage"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The rising shortage of skilled workers, particularly in sectors like telecommunications and legal consultancy, signals that labour market pressures may intensify as Germany's economy recovers from its current weakness.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}