Germany: renowned economists and research institutes belie the theory of a striking lack of skilled workers

A censored study?  Are German businesses facing a penalizing shortage in skilled workers or not?  Since this summer, businesses, employers’ organizations and some economists (see our dispatch No. 100767) have been explaining that the German economy is facing a shortage in skilled workers that is already turning into a substantial shortfall.  Armed with this observation, economic lobbies and the liberal party are lobbying the government to open immigration doors and renovate the system to select migrants.  The DIW’s study goes against these assessments.  Media coverage is even bigger since, hardly published, it was withdrawn and redrafted on the orders of Klaus Zimmermann, chairman of the institute.  In the first draft, Klaus Brenke, author of the study and renowned researcher at the DIW, purely and simply talked of a “mirage of the workforce shortage.”  Yet, Mr. Zimmermann drew attention to himself over the past few weeks because of his declarations in favor of the striking shortage theory.  The second draft, where many sequences were redrafted, specifies that the study only analyzes the current situation and doesn’t speculate on the future.