The ratio of unemployed computer scientists to job vacancies shows just how dramatic this shortage is: every computer scientist entering the labor market can currently choose from an average of 5.3 job vacancies. A survey by the Association of German Engineers shows that almost two-thirds of all large companies are not receiving enough job applications, while four out of five small and medium-sized enterprises are complaining about too few applications.

Half of respondents stated that their company is thus commissioning third parties with necessary work - with the bitter consequence that the corresponding expertise is also being outsourced. Nearly a third of companies postpone or delay upcoming investments and projects due to the shortage of skilled workers. "This means a loss of speed, which has a particularly high impact on competitiveness in the international market," says Dieter Westerkamp , Division Manager for Technology and Science at VDI, evaluating the situation.

The VDI survey shows the same trend as a study the industry association Bitkom conducted at the end of 2017, which even found 55,000 vacant positions for IT experts. The Bitkom study also reveals another problem: in addition to the lack of IT professions, applicants and employees of many companies show a lack of digital skills. Many entrepreneurs nevertheless consider such skills as at least as important as social skills and technical know-how.