Tunisian bosses report 120,000 unfilled jobs in industry
15 October 2012
Read by 1428 persons
In a country with more than 800,000 unemployed, some 120,000 job offers in industry and construction remain unfilled. This is the result of a recent study carried out among employers.
The textile sector could increase its employment capacity by 35%, the construction sector by 25% and manufacturing industries by 16%.
Businesses' needs by sector
This is revealed by a survey published on October 5 by the Tunisian Center for Economic Monitoring and Intelligence (Ctvie), under the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (Iace), on "the assessment of unmet labor needs".
These needs are estimated in these three sectors at 55,000 jobs in textiles, 13,000 in construction and 7,000 in mechanical and electrical industries (Ime).
In the end, these needs would amount, according to this study, to 120,000 jobs outside agriculture and administration.
More than half of the identified labor needs concern skilled workers, while 30% of the needs concern unskilled labor.
The need for university graduates is 18%, which corresponds to the national management rate.
Average waiting times to find an employee
According to the same study, "the average waiting time to find the desired employee-manager is 3 months. This period is approximately 2 months for engineers, skilled workers and sales representatives and 1 month for unskilled workers".
The most significant shortage is in the textile sector and mainly concerns skilled workers.
Waiting times are even longer there: almost 7 months to recruit a manager, more than 4 months for skilled workers, and more than 3 months for others.
Nejiba Azzabi, technical director of the Arco Confection company, told the Tap that the problem lies "in the imbalance between supply and demand, as well as the poor training of graduates who are unable to integrate into professional life". To solve this problem, she considers it necessary that "the State contributes to the salaries of apprentices in the textile sector but also, to extend the age of apprenticeship to 23 years".
In the construction sector, two-thirds of the needs are mainly for skilled labor: plumbers, electricians, plasterers, installers and machine operators.
Ali Youssef, general manager of Essaada Meubles and manager of personalized furniture, confirmed that "the job market today suffers from a lack of skilled labor, particularly in the furniture sector", adding that "people prefer to remain unemployed rather than work in difficult conditions".
Reviewing collective agreements
In order to meet its labor needs, he submitted a file to the Ministry of Employment to import workers from Egypt. "I prefer to close my two factories in Tunisia and go to Libya, a country rich in foreign skilled labor, rather than lose more money," he said.
Taieb Zekri, a member of the executive office of the construction chamber, under the Utica, noted that "the labor problem arises because people refuse to work in this sector, especially since companies operating in construction suffer from financing problems".
In this regard, he stressed "the need to upgrade all stakeholders in this sector, as well as to review collective agreements".
The use of foreign labor
The Iace survey presents two proposals to solve the labor shortage, namely the complete overhaul of the education and vocational training system and the use of foreign labor for certain sectors such as agriculture or construction.
The feasibility of these proposals requires, in the long term, "migrating to a new growth model that achieves the upgrading of the productive system, creating value (more productivity)".
However, "the decision to import labor, which is irreversible, can put downward pressure on wages, hence the risk of perpetuating exclusion and poverty. It can also have an impact on infrastructure and natural resources and perpetuate the current model based on the intensive use of unskilled and low-skilled labor".
I. B. (with Tap).
Kapitalis.com
Published October 9, 2012.
Online October 15, 2012
The textile sector could increase its employment capacity by 35%, the construction sector by 25% and manufacturing industries by 16%.
Businesses' needs by sector
This is revealed by a survey published on October 5 by the Tunisian Center for Economic Monitoring and Intelligence (Ctvie), under the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (Iace), on "the assessment of unmet labor needs".
These needs are estimated in these three sectors at 55,000 jobs in textiles, 13,000 in construction and 7,000 in mechanical and electrical industries (Ime).
In the end, these needs would amount, according to this study, to 120,000 jobs outside agriculture and administration.
More than half of the identified labor needs concern skilled workers, while 30% of the needs concern unskilled labor.
The need for university graduates is 18%, which corresponds to the national management rate.
Average waiting times to find an employee
According to the same study, "the average waiting time to find the desired employee-manager is 3 months. This period is approximately 2 months for engineers, skilled workers and sales representatives and 1 month for unskilled workers".
The most significant shortage is in the textile sector and mainly concerns skilled workers.
Waiting times are even longer there: almost 7 months to recruit a manager, more than 4 months for skilled workers, and more than 3 months for others.
Nejiba Azzabi, technical director of the Arco Confection company, told the Tap that the problem lies "in the imbalance between supply and demand, as well as the poor training of graduates who are unable to integrate into professional life". To solve this problem, she considers it necessary that "the State contributes to the salaries of apprentices in the textile sector but also, to extend the age of apprenticeship to 23 years".
In the construction sector, two-thirds of the needs are mainly for skilled labor: plumbers, electricians, plasterers, installers and machine operators.
Ali Youssef, general manager of Essaada Meubles and manager of personalized furniture, confirmed that "the job market today suffers from a lack of skilled labor, particularly in the furniture sector", adding that "people prefer to remain unemployed rather than work in difficult conditions".
Reviewing collective agreements
In order to meet its labor needs, he submitted a file to the Ministry of Employment to import workers from Egypt. "I prefer to close my two factories in Tunisia and go to Libya, a country rich in foreign skilled labor, rather than lose more money," he said.
Taieb Zekri, a member of the executive office of the construction chamber, under the Utica, noted that "the labor problem arises because people refuse to work in this sector, especially since companies operating in construction suffer from financing problems".
In this regard, he stressed "the need to upgrade all stakeholders in this sector, as well as to review collective agreements".
The use of foreign labor
The Iace survey presents two proposals to solve the labor shortage, namely the complete overhaul of the education and vocational training system and the use of foreign labor for certain sectors such as agriculture or construction.
The feasibility of these proposals requires, in the long term, "migrating to a new growth model that achieves the upgrading of the productive system, creating value (more productivity)".
However, "the decision to import labor, which is irreversible, can put downward pressure on wages, hence the risk of perpetuating exclusion and poverty. It can also have an impact on infrastructure and natural resources and perpetuate the current model based on the intensive use of unskilled and low-skilled labor".
I. B. (with Tap).
Kapitalis.com
Published October 9, 2012.
Online October 15, 2012
