When we talk about staff shortages, things go back and forth right now. Suddenly, there is a report in the media that the ailing employees made a significant contribution to the recession in 2023.
Okay, there has also been a lot of coughing in my environment in recent months and Corona has returned — yet the recession is immediately attributable to this seems bold and one-dimensional to me.
In fact, the effects are not as dramatic as the study suggests, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung later: Sick days have usually already been planned by companies, so the effects are lower than described. And the data from 2023 of changes in sick leave processes to employers is poorly comparable with previous years.
And while we're still digesting this news, the next one is coming: The Ifo Employment Barometer is falling, companies would adjust their personnel planning and maybe even lay off people.
Will this mean that the shortage of personnel and, above all, the shortage of skilled workers will disappear by themselves? In some industries yes, in others. Will we therefore be ill less often in the coming fall and winter due to concerns about our jobs? Let's stay excited.
