Wednesday, February 07, 2018

Over-population?

If low fertility rates persist, the combined population of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will fall by more than 8 million to 56 million by 2050, according to a 2017 U.N. report.

Economists warn the labour shortage could have a crippling effect on some of eastern Europe’s economies before the end of this decade, at a time when companies in the west are also complaining about the scarcity of workers, including in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Britain.

Hungary faces the biggest shortages but Czech, Slovak and Polish companies have also been affected, a survey by Austrian Erste Group Bank showed. An Ipsos survey of 100 Czech companies found that nearly a third had to turn down orders last year because of the labour shortage. 

Poland’s number is low thanks to the more than a million workers from neighbouring Ukraine, which has a similar culture and language, and work permits are relatively easy to obtain. 

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-easteurope-automation-insight/enter-the-robots-automation-fills-gaps-in-east-europes-factories-idUKKBN1FR1ZM

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