Battle for skilled workers: Havelland's catering industry is suffering from a lack of staff

Battle for skilled workers: Havelland's catering industry is suffering from a lack of staff

The Sunday edition of the regional news focused on an urgent problem in the catering industry: While summer temperatures attract numerous guests to restaurants and pubs, recruiting staff remains a real challenge. The shortage of skilled workers is particularly noticeable in Havelland, which is reaching worrying proportions. Loud maz-online.de Not only do catering establishments have a lot to do on sunny days, the growing demands on employees are pushing staff to their limits.

Mathias Winterfeld from Gasthof Milow demonstrates this trend. He reports difficulties in attracting qualified personnel from the region. Despite his 19 employees, most of whom work full-time, he is feeling the decline in this workforce. The working conditions in the catering industry, especially the unattractive working hours, deter many potential applicants - and not just for financial reasons.

Adaptation strategies in the catering industry

Pierre Didrigkeit, owner of the Purpur Café in Rathenow, describes that the search for full-time employees seems almost hopeless. He now increasingly works with employees who are employed part-time, although they usually work less than 30 hours per week. It's no secret: the labor market is characterized by an acute shortage of skilled workers, because according to a recent study, there are almost 44,000 unfilled positions in hospitality and gastronomy, while only around 29,000 suitably qualified unemployed people are available ( zeit.de ).

The hotel industry is particularly struggling: 42.8% of vacancies here are unfilled. The catering industry can also only successfully close 40.1% of its vacancies. The biggest shortage is among cooks, where there is a shortage of over 7,500 skilled workers. Many employees have left the industry during the Corona pandemic and switching from other sectors to the hospitality industry has become rare.

Olaf Wiechert, managing director of the “An der Fähre” restaurant in Ketzin, is another example of the difficult situation. He also recently established direct contact with new employees - most of whom work part-time. In order not to overload their workforce, the Milow Inn, for example, decided to close the kitchen at 8 p.m.

The need for change

According to experts, calls for improving working conditions are becoming louder and louder. A planned increase in the minimum wage to 13.90 euros in January 2026 and a reduction in sales tax to seven percent could increase salaries in the industry. However, it remains to be feared that the increasing costs will in turn have to be passed on to the guests. The result: declining profit margins in the catering industry, even if the number of guests remains stable on nice summer days.

Time is of the essence, which makes a collective effort all the more important to finally get the personnel problem under control. The new generation attaches great importance to leisure time and work-life balance - these are qualities that can no longer be neglected when recruiting staff. While the options for recruiting staff via social media are increasing, the classic route via employment centers often remains frustrating - as unqualified or non-German-speaking applicants are often encountered there.

Another challenge is evident in the training market: here too, it is difficult to fill apprenticeships in the hospitality industry, which further endangers the future of the industry. It remains exciting to see how the catering industry will adapt to the challenges of the present.