Employers' Day calls for more commitment to combating the shortage of skilled workers

This year's Employers' Day, held in Bern on June 30, 2022, provided an opportunity to examine the urgent issue of the shortage of skilled workers from the perspective of employers in Switzerland and its neighbor Austria, as well as with representatives of the industries, following an analysis of the situation. "The Corona crisis has shown employers many areas for improvement - this opportunity must not be missed," emphasized SAV President Valentin Vogt in his assessment of the situation. But with the Ukraine war, a new crisis, far more dramatic from a geopolitical point of view, is putting the brakes on economic recovery in Switzerland. And while the Federal Council is working with the EU on this, negotiations on the further development of the bilateral model are at an impasse. At the same time, solid, legally secure relations with Europe are indispensable, especially now. Vogt stressed that the business community expects leadership and swift action from the Federal Council.

A shortage of 1.3 million workers by 2050

The event then focused on the shortage of skilled workers, which has been exacerbated by the Corona pandemic. How is it affecting the industries concerned? What solutions and demands do employers have for policymakers? Employer Director Roland A. Müller addressed these points in his presentation. As a result of demographic aging, a shortage of skilled workers of around 1.3 million people is expected by 2050. In view of this shortage, employers clearly want to promote the domestic workforce potential. For women in particular, they are focusing on improving the work-life balance and reducing tax disincentives. "For older employees, it is central that the labor market capability is maintained and promoted," Müller emphasized. To this end, the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV) launched the employer network focus50plus. Nevertheless, Switzerland will continue to be dependent on immigration from EU/EFTA and third countries in the future - good framework conditions and the safeguarding of the free movement of persons are decisive for this.

Austria as guest at the Employers' Day

Similar sentiments were expressed with regard to the worsening shortage of skilled workers in neighboring Austria. As guest speaker Georg Knill, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), impressively pointed out, Austria expects its workforce to shrink from the current level of around 52 percent to 47 percent by 2050. In order to get a grip on the problem in the long term, the government is working on a comprehensive skilled labor strategy that covers various areas such as apprenticeship training, the involvement of women and older people, and skilled immigration.

Skills shortage as growth inhibitor

Representatives of the respective industries discussed how the shortage of skilled workers is experienced and addressed by the industries in the panel discussion. What is the reason for the acute shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector and how can young people be attracted to the industry? Rolf Zehnder, former director of the Winterthur Cantonal Hospital and vice president of the H Plus Hospital Association, emphasized that, in addition to wages, company culture and working atmosphere play an important role. "For the pharmaceutical industry, it is a privilege to be able to gain the missing specialists via the third-country quotas" - Thomas Bösch, Head of Human Resources at Novartis Switzerland, is aware of this. "The lack of skilled workers is a real growth inhibitor," warned Judith Bellaiche, managing director of Swico, the trade association of the Swiss ICT and online industry. She said that we need to start at school.

Source and further information: Swiss Employers' Association