Monday, July 12, 2021
154,000 fewer employees
Gastronomy is missing after lockdown staff
Restaurants and hotels are allowed to reopen. But the restaurateurs are facing the next problem in the Corona crisis. Many employees have switched to other industries – or to Austria and Switzerland.
Life is slowly returning to German gastronomy after the long corona lockdown, but the industry is now facing a new problem: the staff is missing for the restart. “Many hotels and restaurants do indeed complain about a shortage of skilled workers and workers,” explained the general manager of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga), Ingrid Hartges. In addition to cooks and qualified service staff, there was also a lack of seasonal workers from abroad and student assistants.
According to the Federal Employment Agency, the number of employees subject to social security contributions in restaurants and hotels fell to just under 940,000 in April. Compared to April 2019, this was a decrease of almost 154,000 employees or a good 14 percent. Compared to April 2020, when the corona pandemic already had Germany firmly under control, the number of employees fell in April 2021 by almost 83,000 employees and thus by around eight percent.
According to an analysis by the Stepstone job portal, the number of advertised vacancies in the hospitality sector rose by 62 percent in April 2021 compared to the same month last year. Employees in hotels (plus 24 percent), waiters (plus 22 percent) and kitchen helpers (plus 21 percent) were particularly in demand. Search inquiries for jobs in this area also increased again: According to Stepstone, the number of such inquiries in April was 27 percent above the previous year’s figure.
Retail specifically attracted employees
“We know that employees from our industry have switched to the booming logistics industry and retail trade,” Hartges continued. Large retailers had targeted employees from the catering industry, and employees moved to Austria and Switzerland, where restaurants and hotels were allowed to reopen earlier. In particular, companies in the southern federal states were affected.
“It is now crucial that politics ensure permanent openings and give the industry, companies and employees, prospects again,” demanded Hartges. In order to counteract the labor shortage, she announced increased efforts by the catering establishments. These would intensify their measures for employee loyalty and new hiring. Appropriate payment and appreciation in the team are other important factors. Hartges called on politicians to provide “business-promoting framework conditions”. “This includes relieving and supporting employers,” she continued. She expressed confidence that employees would then return to the hospitality industry.
The deputy chairman of the left parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Susanne Ferschl, warned of premature easing in the hospitality industry and called for better working conditions in the catering industry. “Health protection must still have priority in the pandemic,” explained Ferschl. Companies that are now complaining about a lack of staff should also question themselves. “Dumping wages and precarious work were already widespread in the catering and hotel industry even before Corona”. Ferschl demanded that anyone looking for workers must offer good work.
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