摘要：Skill shortages are an important issue of the current economic policy debate in Germany. However, it is not always clear whether the term applies to an actual or future problem. This paper investigates the development of skill shortages in Lower Saxony in the period 2008 – 2014 and takes a closer look at the recruitment problems of the firms. Are these problems due to a prolonged scarcity or to temporary circumstances which can be solved by an appro- priate personnel management. Using the German Establishment Panel of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) the empirical analysis reveals that the demand of skilled personnel is cyclical without a clear up- ward trend. Skill shortages are measured by subjective assessments of the management, quantitative indicators of employment compromises and unfilled qualified vacancies. Espe- cially the latter show, that the recruitment problems are mostly a short-term phenomenon and less often observed over a longer period. To abate skill shortages the firms frequently use vocational training and further education
关键词：skill shortages; need for skilled personnel; recruiting strategies; IAB- ; Establishment Panel; Lower Saxony
