Posts Tagged Employment
KfW Panel: Only the “Mittelstand” is creating new jobs
December 5th, 2011 | Thema: News
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were the engines of employment and the driving force of the German economy from 2005 to 2010. This is shown by the new KfW-Mittelstand Panel 2011. According to this, the employment growth in the whole economy of 1.8 million employees in the period specified was exclusively borne by the segment of medium-sized enterprises. According to the Panel’s results small and medium-sized enterprises were also responsible for the upturn in the employment market in 2010. While 170,000 positions were cut in the public sector and in large business in comparison with the previous year, the Mittelstand created 670,000 new jobs.
As in the employment market, investment activity among small and medium-sized enterprises also showed higher dynamism. Although investment expenditure rose last year after the sharp fall in the crisis year 2009 (-15.9 per cent), this rise only amounted to 2.8 per cent. However, from 2005-2010 gross investment of SME companies was able to grow by a total of 11.2 per cent. In comparison: large companies merely increased their investment by 6.8 per cent in the same period.
According to the results of the KfW-Mittelstand Panel, this was reflected in a stable earnings situation over the years and as a result, a continually improved equity capitalisation in the Mittelstand. Thus although SMEs posted a drop in sales of 6.2 per cent in the crisis year 2009, they were able to more than make up for this in 2010 (+6.7 per cent). The collapse in 2009 also had hardly any effects on profit margins. They was also 5.1 per cent in 2009 and thus at about the same level as the other years.
Companies in Germany also with more staff in 2012
October 31st, 2011 | Thema: News
Companies in Germany also want to recruit more staff in the coming year. This is the result of a current poll by the Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DIHK, or German Chambers of Industry and Commerce) as part of its current growth survey in which around 28,000 companies took part. According to the survey, it is expected that around 250,000 new jobs will be created in 2012.
According to DIHK estimates, the lion’s share of these new jobs, about 80,000, will be created in personal services including health and social services. There will be around 50,000 new appointments in the metalworking and electrical industries followed by 40,000 in science intensive services such as research and development, insurance and communications and advertising. The DIHK expects 20,000 new jobs in both temporary work and retail.
Job vacancies in German logistics threaten growth
October 24th, 2011 | Thema: News
On the sidelines of the 28th German Logistics Day in Berlin the Bundesvereinigung Logistik (BVL, or German Logistics Association) pointed to the ever growing shortage of highly skilled employees. Too little attention has been paid to this development although it threatens growth and corporate success.
Currently 75 per cent of companies active in the logistics sector are having difficulties staffing unfilled positions properly, according to the results of a survey of BVL member companies. 73 per cent of those surveyed expect to suffer losses in the future as a result of the skills shortage. Not only graduates but also employees with practical vocational education are being sought, partly in vain. 26 per cent of companies reported they could not find enough drivers and deliverers. Specialists with commercial or technical training are also being sought. The job vacancies in the higher qualified segment range from heads of forwarding to heads of logistics. Engineers, IT experts and business administration graduates with a focus on supply chain management are being sought. Purchasing and production departments are also looking for top logistics experts, as are the “classic” roles of sales and distribution.
Great willingness to invest among companies in Germany
August 8th, 2011 | Thema: News
This year corporate investments will increase strongly in Germany. This is the result of a survey of economic activity carried out by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK). It is expected that investments in new machinery, plant and vehicles will grow by around twelve per cent and that construction investment will rise by at least six per cent. Thus according to the DIHK, investment will have made an unprecedented contribution to growth in united Germany.
Companies in the strong exporting chemical, metal / electrical and vehicle construction sectors want to invest just as strongly as the domestically oriented branches retail as well as construction, which has been more reserved for a long time. This is also reflected positively in corporate staffing planning: 43 per cent of companies with expansive investment plans also want to recruit additional staff; only four per cent want to reduce their head count.
Number of temps at record level in 2010
July 25th, 2011 | Thema: News
The number of temporary workers rose by 182,000 from 2009 to 2010. Thus temporary work has been responsible for more than half – 57 per cent – of the total rise in employment and at 742,000 employees reached a new high last year. These figures have just been published by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). The number of people in employment rose by 322,000 to 30.90 million. For this purpose Destatis counted people in employment aged 15 to 64 who are not in school, higher education or vocational training.
At the same time the Federal Office characterised temporary work in more detail: of the 742,000 temporary workers in 2010, 503,000 or a good two thirds had permanent employment subject to social security payments and worked at least 21 hours a week. Furthermore, 198,000 or 27 per cent of temporary workers altogether had fixed term employment. An additional 6 per cent were in marginal employment or worked fewer than 21 hours. The statisticians pointed out temporary workers had felt the strongest negative consequences of the financial and economic crisis. Their number fell by 8.5 per cent from 2008 to 2009. However, in comparison with the situation before and after the crisis, on balance temporary employment grew by 21.2 per cent between 2008 and 2010, whereby the 2009/10 increase contributed a significant 32.5 per cent.