Firms’ expectations about skill shortages

Abstract Shortages of skilled labor present a critical challenge for economies worldwide. We surveyed over 1100 SME managers in Germany, revealing that most expect skill shortages to worsen and adversely affect their operations. Providing expert forecasts on future shortages to a randomly chosen subgroup of respondents barely affects the expected impacts of skill shortages on their firm, planned mitigation strategies, or business performance expectations. These limited effects likely stem from the already high priority placed on skill shortages, attenuating the impact of additional information. Our findings suggest that typical information campaigns may be ineffective, pointing to a need for more actionable strategies in addressing skill shortages.