Germany has too few workers – shortage is heading for record levels

Berlin Axel Gedaschko worries when he looks at the baby boomer generation that is about to retire. This gap alone needs to be filled first on the labor market, says the President of the Central Association of the Housing Industry (GdW). “Dreaming of building new, additional capacities is therefore unrealistic from today’s perspective.”

However, it is precisely these additional capacities that are needed if the federal government, as promised, wants to build 400,000 new apartments a year and have old buildings renovated to make them more energy-efficient in order to achieve the climate targets.

But workers are in short supply – and not just on construction sites. The hospitality and tourism industries are starting up again after the Corona closures, but there are hardly any people who want to serve food or make beds.