Title: boomers bidding adieu due to job scarcity
In numerous professions currently dealing with staffing shortages, such as bus drivers, masons, or horticulture, a disproportionate number of individuals nearing retirement are prevalent. This situation, particularly among Baby Boomers, is anticipated to intensify the skilled labor shortage.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, by 2023, 44% of bus and tram drivers were at least 55 years old, exceeding the overall average of 25% across all professions. Similar trends can be observed in various other shortage-affected fields, including the transport sector, where 39% of professional drivers in goods transport are over 55.
Even in professions like horticulture and masonry, where 34% and 30% of workers, respectively, are 55 and above, the forthcoming retirements threaten to exacerbate the existing skilled labor shortage. However, only slightly above-average numbers of retirees are projected in elder care, at 27%.
Statisticians have identified several sectors with notably high replacement needs in the upcoming decade. The real estate and housing sector, with 33%, tops the list, followed by agriculture, forestry, and fishing, at 28%. Also, in the transport and logistics sector, 28% of employees are 55 or older.
Retirements in the retail sector will affect some professions significantly, but, on the whole, the sector's proportion of employees over 55 is slightly below average at 24%. Conversely, the hospitality industry will not be unduly impacted by an aging workforce, with only 12% of employees being 55 or older, well below the overall average of 25%.
The veterinary, healthcare, skilled trades, and engineering sectors are facing particularly strained situations with a high number of retiring workers. The veterinary industry is witnessing an increase in demand due to pet ownership but might face a shortage of veterinarians if all planned programs are accredited.
Similarly, the healthcare sector is grappling with a serious personnel shortage, particularly among clinical psychologists, physicians, nurses, and radiologists. As healthcare professionals retire, the available pool of experienced trainers diminishes. In the skilled trades, approximately 20-30% of Baby Boomer workers are retiring, posing a substantial talent gap and knowledge loss.
Engineering specialists, particularly in civil and electrical engineering, are also projected to face shortages due to a deficit in desired skills. Engineering occupations are projected to grow at a higher-than-average rate, but unfilled positions could exacerbate this trend.
The retirement of a significant number of skilled workers in the transport sector, where 39% of professional drivers are over 55, is expected to contribute further to the existing skills shortage. Additionally, in the engineering sector, particularly civil and electrical engineering, the retirement of experienced specialists could lead to a deficit in desired skills, potentially exacerbating the skills shortage.
