Crisis alarm in the east: Chemical industry threatens massive job loss!

Crisis alarm in the east: Chemical industry threatens massive job loss!

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Deutschland - East Germany faces a serious crisis in the chemical industry that is reinforced by the energy shortage. The future of the works of the US group Dow in Böhlen (Saxony) and Schkopau (Saxony-Anhalt) is currently being examined in detail. Like Focus reported, a decision is to be made by the end of July 2023. Union boss Michael Vassiliadis warns in a hurry: hundreds of jobs and the industrial future of the region could be on the brink.

The cracker in Böhlen, which dismantled preliminary products for the chemical industry, plays a central role in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen chemistry park, which includes around 15,000 employees, including many companies. The shock could shake the entire region if the decommission becomes a reality. Unfortunately, it can be seen that the chemical industry in East Germany suffers from high energy prices and a lower utilization. The utilization of the energy -intensive industries fell from 85 percent in 2021 to under 75 percent in 2024.

job cuts and short -time work

The alarming numbers do not remain unnoticed. In the fourth quarter in a row, employment in East German chemistry decreases, the current capacity utilization is just 73 percent. While the Leuna chemical park has already prescribed a savings course, Wacker Nünchritz is planning to send 200 jobs in short -time work from January. Analyzes of Economy in Saxony lifting that the company has to act due to high electricity prices and a weak demand for polysilicon.

In addition, the current difficulties are particularly threatening for manufacturers of basic chemicals. The concerns about the location are also shared by Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff. He is looking for a conversation with the EU Commission President and calls for a return to the price brake and relief at the Green Deal. "The emigration of companies from Central Germany threatens," warns Haseloff.

political measures urgently needed

The despair in the industry can be clearly felt. A third of the approximately 55,600 employees in the East German chemical industry are employed in Saxony-Anhalt. The growth of sales of the industry since the turn is unmistakable, but last year German chemical production dropped by twelve percent, as mdr . "We need political support," appeals Nora Schmidt-Kesseler, managing director of the Northeast Chemistry Association, and calls for the reduction in network charges and an industrial current price of only 4 cents per kilowatt hour.