Retail in need: for the first time a decline in employees and specialists!

Retail in need: for the first time a decline in employees and specialists!

Wiesbaden, Deutschland - German retail faces profound challenges. A current study by the Institute of German Economy (IW Cologne) has shown that the number of retail employees decreased by over 1.5 percent last year. This is a clear indication that even in an industry that has been on a stable growth course for a long time, a rethink is now required. During Corona pandemic, many companies still had high number of employees, but times have changed. As tixio , despite the decline, the vacancies are still numerous and are not filled with qualified employees.

A reason for the tense situation is the continued shortage of skilled workers. In 2024, 26,929 vacancies remained vacant, mainly in areas of sales and leadership. It is particularly striking that two thirds of the skilled workers affect specialists with completed vocational training. Experts and specialists are also affected, but to a lesser extent. For example, around 6,643 specialists are missing in the area of ​​sale without product specialization, while 5,961 experts are required in the supervision and leadership in sales. "The recruitment of young people in retail is inadequate. Over 9,000 training seekers found no place in stores," says the IW study author Franziska Arndt.

a trend with deep roots

In recent years there has been a worrying trend. Between 2011 and 2018, the number of open places increased continuously in order to decrease again in 2019 and during pandemic. Interestingly, the number of vacancies has been on the update again since 2021, but this has a mismatch of the number of unemployed. Kofa points out that over 29,000 specialists with completed vocational training are now missing and the classic sales professions are particularly affected.

This situation is increasingly classified by experts as worrying. The trade association Germany (HDE) also warns of the consequences of the shortage of skilled workers in retail. "Do you have a good knack for retail?" Asked many shippers and shop operators in the industry. The answer is complicated, because while the overall employment has decreased slightly compared to the previous year, the industry with currently over 3.1 million employees remains at a high level. At the end of 2023, almost 120,000 jobs were not filled due to the skilled workers. As HDE Managing Director Steven Haarke, however, could be an inhibition for the future growth of the industry.

Future view and recommendations for action

The authors of the IW study warn that the skilled worker situation could still worsen with economic relaxation and in view of the demographic change. One way to counteract this would be to keep older employees longer in the labor market and to actively approach career changers. The post-qualification of ads and unskilled people also offers promising potential. It is currently recommended to invest in the training of young people and to invest in attractive working conditions in order to gain tomorrow's specialists. The knowledge of the data suggests that an active policy is necessary - from creating suitable framework for training to flexible solutions for the compatibility of work and family.

summarized it is shown that retail a fundamental transformation requires not only the current challenges, but also to the future trends. All actors in the industry should pursue a common goal: to win qualified employees for a strong trade environment.