The shortage of skilled workers is developing into the biggest brake on growth in Germany. The problem is exacerbated by the persistently high rate of school dropouts. In 2021, 47,500 young people left general schools without a secondary school certificate. At 6.2 percent, their share was slightly higher than in previous years, as a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows. There are significant differences between the individual federal states. WELT looks at the results of the study - and explains why the current trend in Germany is expensive.
