Abstract:

For the first time in the history of the world of industrial labour the situation in Germany is characterised by the fact that the jobs available exceed the labour supply. This state of affairs, called full employment by the economists, does not necessarily mean that the labour force and the available positions are in balance. Full employment may be veiling a state of scarcity. The centre of gravity in the production factors is shifting from the capital for technical equipment or land to labour. The question as to how to obtain sufficient and suitable labour governs managerial thinking. According to the results of numerous studies the disproportion between supply and demand in the labour market is structural and thus tends to be permanent. In this paper we will outline the possible tasks of labour market research.