study
There could be a shortage of over 660,000 IT specialists by 2040
There is an increasing need for programmers, system administrators and other IT specialists in Germany. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
IT specialists are already urgently needed in Germany today. A study predicts the situation will worsen. But how could the gap in the labor market be closed?
The acute shortage of IT specialists in the German economy will increase significantly in the coming years if no appropriate countermeasures are taken. According to a long-term study by the digital association Bitkom Germany will lack around 663,000 IT specialists in 2040 if politicians do not take decisive countermeasures. The association assumes that 149,000 open positions in the IT sector cannot currently be filled.
The big gap will arise in the coming years primarily due to the increasing need for programmers, system administrators and other IT specialists. A total of 1.92 million positions will need to be filled here by 2040. However, this demand is only matched by a supply of 1.26 million skilled workers.
There is a danger that Germany will gamble away its digital future
Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst said that in addition to these numbers there are thousands of open positions with an IT focus in administrations, schools or scientific institutions. “The shortage of IT specialists, which has been getting worse for years, affects the entire country and is slowing down the urgently needed digitization.” An ever-increasing skills gap in IT means a loss of competitiveness, added value, growth and prosperity. “Without IT specialists, Germany is wasting its digital future,” said Wintergerst.
The industry association explained that the gap could be largely closed with a series of countermeasures. Around 108,000 additional skilled workers could come onto the market by 2040 if we succeed in attracting more students and trainees, getting girls and women interested in IT and reducing dropouts in computer science. In order to achieve this goal, for example, the compulsory subject of computer science would have to be introduced in all federal states from secondary level 1 and more chairs for computer science, digitalization and artificial intelligence would have to be set up.
“We cannot close the gap alone”
Another countermeasure is to keep older employees beyond retirement age. This means that 68,500 additional skilled workers could be activated by 2040. A further 129,500 additional skilled workers could be recruited if interested people from other professions were enabled and made it easier to get started in IT. But all the measures in Germany were not enough, said Wintergerst. However, over 320,000 skilled workers could be recruited from abroad. “We cannot close the gap alone.”
In order to expand the necessary immigration, the effect of the Skilled Immigration Act must be strengthened through measures. To achieve this, immigration procedures would have to be digitized in a uniform manner. Bitkom also called for the immigration authorities to be restructured into “welcome agencies” as well as international marketing for Germany as an IT location. “These people are being courted around the world. In order for us to be attractive to them, Germany must remain an open, tolerant and free society,” said Wintergerst.