Labor market in July: increase in unemployment and new personnel strategies

Current challenges on the labor market: solidarity among competitors

The labor market situation in Schleswig-Holstein is under the influence of seasonal factors in July. This is not only important for the employees concerned, but also has far -reaching effects on the local economy. "The preliminary reports of young people who have completed their training often lead to an increase in unemployment figures," explains Tobias von der Heide, State Secretary for Labor. This phenomenon often occurs, as many new training courses only start in August and young people report unemployed during this break.

statistical insights into the number of employment

The current statistics of the Federal Employment Agency show that the number of unemployed in July rose by almost 2.5 percent to 91,211. Compared to the same month in the previous year, this corresponds to an increase of 4.6 percent, which increases the unemployment rate to 5.6 percent. Despite these worrying numbers, the Heide can report positive things. "The number of employees subject to social security has risen by 0.6 percent compared to the last year", he explains and indicates the preliminary values ​​of May 2024, which now identify 1,059,000 employees.

The influence of summer doldrums on the gastronomy

The gastronomy is also faced with challenges. Many companies have to struggle with declines of sales. According to the Heide, numerous restaurants and pubs use downsized offers or shortened opening times because they cannot find enough staff. "These seasonal fluctuations are nothing new in the industry, but the current labor market numbers illustrate the pressure under which many companies are," he comments on.

Innovative approaches to recruitment

In order to meet these challenges, the State Secretary advises the companies to find new ways to gain qualified staff. An unconventional solution he suggests is the method of "Coopetition". This artificial word combines the English terms Cooperation (collaboration) and Competition (competition). Competing companies can work together in a structured manner in order to act effectively in a challenging market environment. "In St. Peter-Ording, a successful North German collective has shown how such a cooperation can significantly increase employer attractiveness", explained by the Heide.

A call to change and innovation

Tobias von der Heide urgently emphasizes the need to be brave and change the perspectives. "The cooperation between companies that are in competition with each other is perhaps not the first idea that comes to mind, but it can be decisive to counter the shortage of skilled workers."