ZEW Economist Sandra Gottschalk on the IAB/ZEW Start-up Panel

Fulfilling recruitment plans quickly and efficiently is essential for young companies to remain competitive and realise their full growth potential. Dr. Sandra Gottschalk, researcher in the “Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics” Unit at ZEW Mannheim and author of the IAB/ZEW Start-up Panel, explains:

“A growing number of young companies are struggling to find skilled personnel. This problem is exacerbated for young companies as they are often unable to compete with established companies in terms of conditions and wages. In the past three years, around a third of these companies have failed to meet their recruitment plans. The most common reason given is the lack of suitable candidates. Young construction companies are particularly affected: between 2020 and 2022, 40 per cent of young companies in the construction sector reported that they were unable to fill planned vacancies with new employees.”