Public administrations in northern Germany struggle to recruit engineers and IT staff as demographic crunch deepens

The hardest‑hit professions

Public bodies across Schleswig‑Holstein report that personnel gaps are spread across almost all fields, but the pressure is most acute in engineering, information technology and social care.

It is especially noticeable for construction technicians and engineers, most strongly in civil engineering, as well as for IT specialists and in the educational sector.

The deputy managing director of the Schleswig‑Holstein Association of Towns and Municipalities added that even classic administrative roles are becoming harder to fill, pushing local authorities to rely ever more on lateral entrants.

Demographic change and a growing to‑do list

Two forces are driving the squeeze. The first is a rising number of retirements that is not matched by an influx of young workers. The second is a steady expansion of the state’s responsibilities.

In recent years there has been a considerable increase in new tasks for districts and municipalities, or existing tasks have been expanded, which leads to a heavier workload.

Berneith, deputy managing director of the Schleswig‑Holstein District Council, said nationwide forecasts point to a shortfall of about 731 000 administrative employees by 2030.

Consequences for citizens and staff

Open positions inevitably translate into longer waiting and processing times for residents and to restricted accessibility, Berneith explained. The burden also falls on colleagues who absorb the work of a vacant post and consequently have less time for their own cases. In the city of Lübeck, spokesperson Nicole Dorel said that out of a core administration of 4 560 staff, roughly 40 posts are currently being advertised.

Uneven picture across the state

Not every place describes the situation as a blanket crisis. Kiel’s spokesperson Kerstin Graupner noted that with just over 5 000 positions the city has a fill rate of 95 percent, although a high share of part‑time workers means the headline figure masks thinner coverage in practice. Dorel similarly cautioned against painting with too broad a brush.

To speak generally of a personnel shortage would not be accurate.

Still, both cities acknowledge that in some professional groups — particularly construction engineering — the public sector feels private‑sector competition intensely.

Glimmers of improvement

There are pockets of relief. Berneith pointed out that in recent months the districts have managed to fill vacancies in their immigration offices, which has helped them cope with a rising number of naturalisation applications. The improvement, however, has not altered the broader picture of a public workforce that is ageing faster than it can renew itself.