Bakery death in Rabenau: Last branch closes forever!

Bakery death in Rabenau: Last branch closes forever!

The baked goods industry in Germany faces massive challenges that now also affect the Rabenau branch of the Laube bakery. On June 21, this will close its gates forever. This will make a traditional baker to the market in Rabenau - a bitter loss for the local community, because since 1990 the bakery has been one of the indispensable contact points for fresh bread and bread. Managing Director Marcel Nitz attributes the closure to considerable personnel problems reports the Saxon .

The situation in the industry is by no means unique. According to Böckler , the bakery craft is struggling throughout Germany with a drastic decline in companies that have shrunk by 30 percent in the past ten years. This structural change means that around 20,000 jobs have been lost in this area since 2014.

No more baker in Rabenau

The special thing about the Laube bakery is that over the years it has developed from a small, local bakery to a company with a total of 18 branches in the region. Nevertheless, the other branches also have to deal with personnel bottlenecks. The Lindner bakery on Frealaler Straße has already closed, and the opening time was also greatly reduced in the Laube branch in Rabenau. The last remaining seller is now transferred to another branch.

The reasons for the problems are diverse. Other companies in the region also suffer from the shortage of skilled workers, which must be mastered by a shortened number of opening hours and a steadily growing psychological stress on the employees. According to a current analysis, many potential applicants shy away from working conditions, which are often shaped by high stress and time pressure So the bakery monitor .

The structural change in the bakery industry

The structural change in the baked goods industry does not only result in negative consequences. In 2024 there was an impressive 11.4 percent increase in the trainees in the bakery trade, while the number of specialist sellers increased by 22.5 percent. Nevertheless, the uncertainty regarding a takeover after the training remains a major problem: 73 percent of the trainees are unclear whether they will be taken over after completion.

Payment in craft bakeries is often low. The potential for improvement is a revision of working conditions to increase the attractiveness of the professions. Some companies are already trying to expand their radius of recruitment to more international markets to attract qualified specialists.

Overall, the situation of the bakeries in Germany is a reflection of a greater change in the world of work. The loss of the branch in Rabenau is a further proof that there is an urgent need for action to stabilize and make the industry.