The Chamber of Commerce (KvK) recently surveyed the issue of Labor Shortage or the scarcity of workers in Aruba. Martijn Balkstein, director of the Aruba Chamber of Commerce, explains that they have often heard complaints from business owners that they cannot find enough qualified people to fill their vacancies. KvK searched around and did not have a comprehensive view of the extent of the shortage. KvK initiated the survey and sent it to all registered businesses, and in record time received responses from over 400 companies.
On Friday afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce publishes and shares the results on their social networks with all companies. Based on this, it was found that 66% of companies indicate that it is nearly impossible to find qualified personnel, 41% of companies indicate that they are looking for between five and ten people, and up to 20% are looking for over ten people; thus, it is a significant number of people. “Previously, it was known that it was difficult to fill vacancies that require a high level of education, such as Accounting, which could now be a problem, but now it’s not only people with Bachelors or Masters degrees. It’s very diverse,” according to Balkestein.
There is a shortage of gardeners, dishwashers, cleaners, and not only limited to the hotel sector but also in the Wholesale sector. Another problem emerging there is aging. Many people are retiring, and KvK estimates that in about five years, there will be 6,600 people exiting the labor market. “You can question why this started, as many permits have been given out for quite a few years now, and during Covid, this has stopped. Now, everything is coming together at the same time”.
