German government seeks employees.. Public service deficit records 631,000 vacancies - Sarmad

The German Public Service Union (ver.di) estimates that the state is currently facing a shortfall of 631,000 employees in the public sector.

This figure is based on the union’s annual survey conducted among its 41 member unions.

According to the union, the need for additional staff is particularly acute in patient and elderly care (125,200 positions), in schools (120,000 positions), and in municipal administrations (112,000 positions). The union is calling for an additional 92,000 staff members for the Federal Police and the Armed Forces, according to the German News Agency (dpa).

Last year, the German Public Service Union had estimated the public sector’s staffing shortfall at around 600,000 employees.

Union president Volker Jaier said that the additional need for staff is due, among other factors, to the failure to refill all positions after employees retire. He added: “Anyone who also considers the changing security situation should immediately understand why we need more police officers. For example, monitoring new arms-free zones requires large numbers of staff.”