It is estimated that in Germany there are 35,000 medical care workers too few. Since 2011, the ratio of unoccupied workplaces has risen to 40%. These numbers were reported from the KOFA Research Unit on Securing Skilled Labour for SMEs, jointly sponsored by Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the Economic Institute (IW). In no other occupation is the situation so critical as with hospital personnel and care providers for the elderly, and the report warns that the actual lack of caregivers could be higher.
In other professions in which new personnel are needed, wages are increased. “For healthcare workers, this is not obvious,” according to Prof. Gabriele Meyer from Halle University. An attempt to remedy the situation failed at the beginning of the year, reported Welt am Sonntag Nov. 28. (In fact, the remedy was not attempted due to the negligence of Health Minister Jens Spann and the government.)
