2023-12-18 17:40:00
The shortage of personnel in Germany has also affected the market for Christmas Santas (Weihnachstmann). This unfavorable situation was largely influenced by the pandemic. In 2018 – before the outbreak of coronavirus infection – white-bearded old men in red sheepskin coats bringing gifts into the house could not be found due to huge demand. So many German families wanted to see Santa Claus at home that the companies offering these services could not satisfy the requests of everyone. They urgently needed new personnel, which at that time could not be found on the labor market.
Demand for Santa Clauses has not recovered after the pandemic
This year, the number of people wishing to try on the costume of German Father Frost has decreased significantly due to a drop in demand for their services. There are much fewer people willing to pay for a visit to Santa Claus’s home, writes the dpa news agency: the demand for the services of Santa Claus in Germany has not recovered after the pandemic. According to Petra Henkert from the Christmas office in Brandenburg, “the number of orders is very moderate” in 2023.
This year, fewer German families than usual will see Father ChristmasPhoto: Tetra Images/Bildagentur-online/picture alliance
There is no exact data on how many German families decided to invite Father Christmas for Christmas 2023. We only know that one of the reasons for such weak demand may be prices, which have increased significantly since the pandemic. In the 2000s, when the idea of “renting” Santa Clauses was just emerging, the cost of this service did not exceed 30 euros. Until 2020, it cost from 30 to 70 euros – a visit to the home of German Santa Claus could be ordered at special companies, at the labor exchange or at the Society for the Promotion of University Students (Deutsche Studentenwerk – DSW). Currently, the average price for Santa Claus is 85 euros. “It’s too expensive,” says Petra Henkert. In some cases prices reach up to 250 euros!
There are few new candidates for the role of Santa Claus
The situation with students has also changed dramatically: for many years they were the main personnel in this niche, but already in 2019, only three out of 57 Santa Clauses across the country were provided by the Society for the Assistance of University Students. Employment agencies also played an important role in the “supply” of Santa Clauses to the German labor market. However, during the pandemic, the chances of getting a job in this field have sharply decreased, and there are fewer people willing to work at Christmas. The “old” Santa Clauses have retrained, but there are not many new applications. The labor agency in Hannover says that they did not have any serious candidates this year.
This year, it seems, the Germans will be saving not only on Santa Clauses, but also on gifts. At the same time, it is planned to spend a record amount on lighting.
See also:
#German #families #afford #Santa #Claus