133,000 Open Positions in Social and Healthcare Professions

There is a shortage of nurses, educators, and social workers, with around 133,000 open positions in healthcare and social professions. The skilled labor gap in these fields accounts for almost a quarter of the entire economy.

The largest bottleneck is with educators, as there are 300,000 missing childcare places. More than 80% of employees in these professions are female, with over 50% working part-time.

Increasing the provision of childcare places is crucial to allowing mothers and fathers to increase their working hours. Incentives for training in healthcare and social professions must be increased, and addressing male employees can help overcome gender stereotypes.

The demand for qualified personnel is growing faster than the influx of new professionals, and although the shortage has eased slightly, the situation remains tense and could worsen significantly in the coming years. The aging population is also increasing the need for nursing staff by 280,000 by 2049.