02:08Germany: 'The big challenge is the workforce’ - Habeck on lack of skilled workers as inflation predicted to drop to 6 percent
Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck claimed that inflation would continue to fall while the 'biggest challenge' of the coming year would be skilled labour, as he presented the government’s annual report to the Bundestag on Thursday.
"We made this crisis manageable, we broke the trend of inflation," he stated. "We have seen a drop in inflation from 7.9 in 2022, for 2023 we expect 6 percent on an annual average."
The minister also said that the issues with the labour force dated back before the current problems.
"The big challenge is the workforce and it has actually been there for a long time is the lack of work or skilled workers," he continued. "The question, are there are enough hands and heads in this country to do all the work, that is the great task of our time."
Habeck also outlined the growth figures, claiming that 1.9 percent last year was 'good' in an 'extremely difficult year', and was most likely down to the reopening of shops and restaurants following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the government’s own figures predict that export growth will slow down and unemployment rise slightly from 5.3 percent last year to 5.4 percent in 2023, its report suggests the economy will avoid sliding into recession.
02:08Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck claimed that inflation would continue to fall while the 'biggest challenge' of the coming year would be skilled labour, as he presented the government’s annual report to the Bundestag on Thursday.
"We made this crisis manageable, we broke the trend of inflation," he stated. "We have seen a drop in inflation from 7.9 in 2022, for 2023 we expect 6 percent on an annual average."
The minister also said that the issues with the labour force dated back before the current problems.
"The big challenge is the workforce and it has actually been there for a long time is the lack of work or skilled workers," he continued. "The question, are there are enough hands and heads in this country to do all the work, that is the great task of our time."
Habeck also outlined the growth figures, claiming that 1.9 percent last year was 'good' in an 'extremely difficult year', and was most likely down to the reopening of shops and restaurants following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the government’s own figures predict that export growth will slow down and unemployment rise slightly from 5.3 percent last year to 5.4 percent in 2023, its report suggests the economy will avoid sliding into recession.