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September 13, 2022

How do we solve the shortage of skilled workers?

"The pension is safe."

Social Minister Blüm made this statement during his 1986 election campaign and again in 1997 when the controversial pension reform became the "Pension Reform Act of 1999."
Reform was urgently needed because life expectancy had increased and the birth rate seemed to be falling further and further.

The supposed solution? Lower the pension level from 70 to 64.

The result? Pensions are not secure today.

There is already a shortage of skilled workers, the "baby boomers" are slowly retiring and the birth rate is stagnant at best.

The federal government is now busy finding a real solution for securing pensions. The easiest thing to do would be to fill the vacancies that are still opening up.

But you know what's easier than filling a job opening?

Not allowing the job to open in the first place!
Just have people work a little longer.

Of course, it's not quite that simple. There are two fundamental problems that militate against it:

Most people don't want to keep working at all.
They have slaved long enough and now want to retire. The worry that they won't be able to make ends meet is the only reason why some people might decide to continue working after all.

Add to that the fact that "baby boomers" are not necessarily likely to stay in their positions. Companies are moving with the times, restructuring and digitizing. As a result, those who have been with a company for years, if not decades, may not be able to keep up and will have to be replaced.

What are these people supposed to do then?

Deliver newspapers, stock shelves or deliver food?

That cannot and must not be the solution.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)