BERLIN – The government of Germany has admitted that workforce shortage is a pressing issue at the moment, supporting the possibility of immigrants relocating to the country.
Robert Habeck, the economy minister and vice-chancellor made a strong case for immigrants on Wednesday when he said companies are desperately looking for workers, craft businesses have to reject orders, and shops and restaurants have to limit their opening hours due to workforce shortage.
The minister continued that the shortage was not limited to skilled workers only as the government was noticing shortages in every possible corner.
The severity of the matter can be accessed from the fact that Habeck said a shortage of skilled workers was the country’s “most pressing structural problem”.
“I know that there are some reservations about it, and it is completely clear that we need better control over who comes into the country and that those who are not allowed to stay must leave quickly,” he said while commenting on challenges associated with immigration.
The comments came as the German government reduced its economic forecast, warning that output would shrink 0.4 per cent this year.
Habeck also cited the factors responsible for the country’s grim economic outlook including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a sharp increase in interest rates to manage inflation and slowing global trade.
“There are also geopolitical sources of conflict that increase uncertainty,” he said and added that the progress in emerging from the crisis was slower than expected
The minister seemed hopeful and said the economy would rebound at the turn of the year, as rising wages and falling inflation are expected to boost household spending.
The comments come as the International Monetary Fund predicted this week that Germany would be the worst-performing major economy this year, with output contracting 0.5 per cent before returning to growth of 0.9 per cent in 2024.
Germany has been easing the conditions for workers to immigrate to the county. In this regard, the introduction of Opportunity Card or Chancenkarte is a major development with the help of which even those with no confirmed job can land in the country and find jobs.
With the fresh announcement, it visibly seems that Germany would be attracting immigrants in large numbers and those with a skill or degree would find it much easier to relocate to the country.
