Tuttlingen is looking for skilled workers: the labor market shows light and shadow!

Tuttlingen is looking for skilled workers: the labor market shows light and shadow!

There is a mixed picture on the labor market in the Tuttlingen region. Isabel Schilling, head of the human resources department at the city of Tuttlingen, reports on economic difficulties that are particularly noticeable in the technical area. Despite the challenges, the city of Tuttlingen currently only has ten of the total 560 full-time positions unfilled, which is perceived as a satisfactory result. In recent years, the staffing situation has been more critical and the city has taken measures to ensure care for citizens.

The vacancies not only affect technical professions such as a master for lighting and an electrician for the sewage treatment plant, but also the urgently needed staff in the daycare centers. Around 220 educators are currently employed by the city, but the lack of skilled workers occasionally leads to reduced opening hours in the daycare centers. Fortunately, no groups have been able to close completely as temporary workers are hired to maintain care.

Shortage of skilled workers in childcare

The shortage of skilled workers in childcare is a widespread problem. According to the Federal Employment Agency, unemployment in this area is only 1.7 percent, which is below the German average. In 2024, over 1,030,000 people were already working in childcare, an increase of almost 50 percent compared to 2014. Around three quarters of these employees work in kindergartens and crèches, which illustrates the high susceptibility to shortages.

The city of Tuttlingen is planning to hire 15 new trainees as educators for the upcoming kindergarten year. This could be an essential measure to address the childcare shortage. The city has also implemented a modern recruiting system and even uses platforms like TikTok to target potential trainees.

Financial framework conditions

The city of Tuttlingen has budgeted around 130,000 euros for the search for employees in 2024. The item for wages and salaries in the city budget amounts to almost 45 million euros - an increase of over ten million euros since 2020. These financial conditions are crucial, especially since Tuttlingen is characterized by an increasing need for skilled workers, especially in the area of ​​child care.

Various offers are provided for city employees, including sports programs, bicycle leasing, subsidies for the Deutschland Ticket and flexible working hours. Given the situation in the Tuttlingen district office, where around 20 positions are currently vacant, the city is cautious about creating new positions. However, due to the changes in housing benefit and the introduction of a legal right to all-day care, a need for around six new positions is seen.

The developments in Tuttlingen reflect nationwide trends in which the lack of skilled workers in childcare is recognized as a serious problem. Information from the Federal Employment Agency shows that around 7,400 successful qualifications in the field of education have been recorded in the last five years. This highlights the challenges facing the sector.