The Berlin administration is facing a massive challenge in recruiting staff. Of the 131,300 people currently working directly in the state service, almost 38,000 employees are expected to retire by 2029. On average, around 4,200 employees have to be replaced every year. Overall, around a third of all people currently working in the state and districts need replacements.
In addition, not all available positions have been filled. The financial administration responsible for the personnel gives the number of vacant positions in the state service at around 3,350, in the districts there are around 2,550. According to a spokesman, however, this is a “snapshot” because many selection processes have now been completed and vacancies are planned . He acknowledged that both the city’s population growth and the competition in the job market pose additional challenges for the administration.
Filling the vacant positions is made more difficult by the continuous growth in both the main and district administration after the end of the savings years. With the 2018/2019 double budget, around 5,300 jobs and employment positions were added only for the main administration and around 1,280 for the districts, the spokesman explained.
The double budget for the years 2020/21 had provided the necessary funds for around 4,200 additional jobs. The main areas of focus were teachers (860), police (870), tax offices (390), fire brigades (410), courts, public prosecutors (165) and prisons (88).
The current double budget, in turn, provides for the creation of around 4,500 new jobs, which are to be created in schools, the police and the fire brigade, which has recently made headlines due to the lack of personnel.
New hires play a decisive role in covering the additional demand. The spokesman explained that around 7,000 new hires were needed every year to compensate for both the departing staff and the additional need for staff. The focus of the main and district administration is on the areas “whose tasks directly benefit the Berlin population”.
Between December 2014 and December 2020, almost 49,500 new employees were hired, and around 34,800 employees left the company permanently due to age or other reasons. The numbers made us confident “that the state of Berlin will continue to be able to cover its personnel requirements in the future,” said the spokesman.
