In Vordingborg, Guldborgsund, and Lolland, there are still fewer local hands to carry out the work. Since 2019, the number of employees aged 30 to 54 has fallen by over 1,800 people across the three municipalities. And even though the number of foreign employees has grown significantly during the period, it has not been enough to reverse the trend. The total number of employees has decreased.
New figures from Jobindsats show a quiet but noticeable decline in the workforce - a trend that is now seriously pressuring local businesses.
Nordic Sugar: We especially notice it among skilled workers
At Nordic Sugar, one of the region's largest industrial companies with factories in both Nakskov and Nykøbing, the pressure on recruitment is being felt.
Ukrainians in jobs
Guldborgsund: 106 Ukrainians are employed (45% of all aged 16-66), which is 6 percentage points lower than the national average.
Lolland: 73 Ukrainians are employed (48% of all aged 16-66), which is also below the national average.
Vordingborg: 100 Ukrainians are employed, equivalent to 63% of all 16-66-year-old Ukrainians in the municipality. This is above the national average of 51%.
The company is a central player in Danish sugar production and processes hundreds of thousands of tons of beets into sugar, molasses, and feed products every year. It requires many skilled hands - and they have become harder to come by.
- It is difficult to find labour, for example, blacksmiths and electricians, says CEO Jannik Olejas.
Nordic Sugar is used to handling large, seasonal workloads, but now experiences that the availability of qualified labour is not keeping up.
- We see any initiative that positively contributes to solving a difficult situation as positive - in addition to the initiatives we undertake ourselves.
A paradox in the labour crisis
The figures show a clear paradox:
While companies throughout the area lack labour, hundreds of Ukrainians are without jobs - even though many of them are ready to work.
Nationwide, 51 percent of Ukrainian citizens are employed. In Guldborgsund Municipality, it is only 45 percent, which places the municipality among the lowest ranked in the entire country. In Lolland Municipality, the figure is 48 percent. Only Vordingborg stands out positively with 63 percent.
While the statistics show that many Ukrainians are still without work, companies in the area are trying to find solutions. Lack of hands has become everyday life - and both new recruitment and retention require active effort.
Lalandia in Rødby: Betting on the elderly - and puzzled by the figures
At Lalandia in Rødby, one of the largest private workplaces in Lolland Municipality, they have recruited young people for many years - often as holiday and weekend employees. But with small youth cohorts and increased competition, it has become more difficult.
- We have to think creatively. We have traditionally hired many young people, but the cohorts are small now. So we are now looking towards the elderly and have just hired a 70-year-old in our kitchen, says director Karsten Juhl.
- There are older people who have retired, who may have regrets and miss having a job, and we would like to talk to them.
He is surprised that employment among Ukrainians is so low - especially in Lolland and Guldborgsund, where the municipalities are significantly below the national average.
- It surprises me that the municipalities are low in terms of getting Ukrainians into work. We have been continuously contacted by both Lolland and Guldborgsund municipalities.
But there are also barriers, it is said:
- The language skills are not good enough when they show up. They need to know a bit more.
Bisca: Recruitment in collaboration with the municipality
Another approach is found at the biscuit factory Bisca in Stege, which employs around 200 staff and produces biscuits and baked goods for both Danish and international customers.
- We were short of hands when the war in Ukraine broke out. And like the rest of the world, we also wanted to help - so it was a natural step. And it has been a great success for us. The Ukrainians have contributed with a strong work ethic and are good colleagues, says factory director Anders Holmström.
At Bisca, they experienced that Vordingborg Municipality played a
big role in finding the right candidates. Which was a great help.
- At one point, we had 20 permanent employees, but two have returned home to Ukraine, and two have started further studies, says Anders Holmström.
And the last Ukrainian has probably not stepped into the factory. The job centre continuously contacts the company in Stege with the possibility of hiring more.
