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In recent years, the world of work has changed dramatically, and this change is also reflected in the business strategy of many large corporations. Instead of relying exclusively on traditional permanent hires, companies are increasingly turning to intermediaries and IT freelancers to help them achieve their projects and business goals. There are several reasons for this trend, which are beneficial to both the corporations and the freelancers themselves.
Flexibility and agility:
The fast-paced market requires companies to be able to quickly adapt to new situations and respond to current trends. By relying on intermediaries and IT freelancers, corporations can more easily respond to fluctuating workloads. They can assemble flexible teams and downsize or expand as needed without having to go through lengthy hiring processes. This flexibility allows them to use resources more efficiently and reduce costs.
Access to expert knowledge:
In an increasingly specialized business world, companies often need specific expertise for their projects. By working with intermediaries and IT freelancers, they gain access to a pool of talented experts who have the necessary know-how to meet their requirements. This allows corporations to tackle complex projects without having to maintain additional staff on a permanent basis.
Innovation and diversity:
Working with freelancers from different industries and backgrounds can stimulate the innovation process. External professionals often bring new ideas and perspectives that internal teams may miss. In addition, freelancers can bring cultural diversity and new ways of working to the company, which increases innovation and fosters creativity.
Cost optimization:
Hiring full-time employees comes with high costs, such as fringe benefits, employee benefits, health insurance and office infrastructure. By working with IT freelancers, corporations can reduce these costs, as freelancers typically provide their own resources and work on a self-employed basis.
Faster project delivery:
At a time when time is of the essence in gaining competitive advantage, by engaging intermediaries and IT freelancers, companies can get their projects done faster. Freelancers are often highly motivated to complete their work in less time, as their success can depend on how many projects they successfully complete and receive positive reviews.
Expanding the talent pool:
Many companies struggle to find qualified professionals, especially in certain niche areas or during times of a skills shortage. Working with freelancers significantly expands the talent pool for companies, as they are no longer limited to local candidates. They can search for the best experts on a global scale.
So overall, corporations benefit in many ways from collaborating with intermediaries and IT freelancers. By working in this way, they can respond more flexibly and agilely to market changes, gain access to specialized knowledge and experts, reduce costs, strengthen innovation and implement their projects faster. At the same time, freelancers themselves also benefit, as they can organize their working hours and projects more flexibly and have access to a larger number of potential clients. The increasing importance of freelancers and intermediaries in the economy suggests that this trend will continue in the future.
In a groundbreaking announcement, Microsoft Excel has unveiled a new chapter in data analytics by introducing Python integration to its platform. This momentous stride brings together the power of Python's analytical capabilities and the versatility of Excel's data organization and visualization tools. With the launch of Python in Excel, users can seamlessly merge Python and Excel analytics within the same workbook, ushering in a new era of efficiency and sophistication in data analysis.
A Fusion of Python and Excel: The Next Evolution in Data Analytics
From its inception, Microsoft Excel has been at the forefront of transforming data handling, analysis, and visualization. Now, with Python in Excel, Microsoft takes another leap forward, offering a Public Preview of this groundbreaking integration. The synergy between these two stalwarts in the data world allows users to directly input Python code into Excel cells, with the calculations executed in the Microsoft Cloud. The results, including plots and visualizations, are then seamlessly integrated into the Excel worksheet, all without requiring any intricate setup.
The initial roll-out of Python in Excel is available for those participating in the Microsoft 365 Insiders program, accessed through the Beta Channel in Excel for Windows.
Unveiling the Distinctive Features of Python in Excel
Catering to Analysts' Needs: Excel's familiar tools like formulas, charts, and PivotTables are utilized by millions for data analysis. Now, Python in Excel takes this a step further by natively integrating Python directly into the Excel grid. The new PY function enables users to input Python code directly into Excel cells, offering access to potent Python analytics alongside Excel's trusted features.
Unleashing Python's Power via Anaconda: Python in Excel leverages Anaconda Distribution for Python, a repository embraced by countless data practitioners globally. This integration facilitates access to popular Python libraries like pandas, Matplotlib, and scikit-learn, amplifying the analytical prowess available within Excel.
Security and Cloud Compatibility: Python in Excel operates securely in the Microsoft Cloud environment, utilizing Azure Container Instances for isolated execution. The integration ensures data privacy, restricting Python code's knowledge of users' identities and keeping workbook data isolated and secure.
Team Collaboration Made Effortless: Collaboration takes center stage with Python in Excel. Teams can interact with and refresh Python-powered analytics without grappling with complex installations or management of libraries. Collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Outlook seamlessly enable shared workbooks and foster a cohesive working environment.
Microsoft's Commitment to Python: The partnership across various Microsoft teams underscores the company's dedication to enhancing Python's accessibility and integration. Guido van Rossum, Python's creator and Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, lauds this milestone, highlighting the collaborative spirit.
Unlocking New Avenues in Data Analysis
Python in Excel opens up a realm of possibilities, transforming Excel from a traditional spreadsheet tool into an advanced analytical powerhouse. Advanced visualizations utilizing Python's renowned charting libraries, machine learning, predictive analytics, and even data cleaning are now within Excel users' grasp. This integration enhances the workflow of diverse sectors, from education and corporate analytics to financial analysis.
The Road Ahead
With Python in Excel making its debut through the Public Preview for the Microsoft 365 Insiders program, the future holds promise. Expectations are high as Microsoft works on refining the integration, expanding editing experiences, error management, documentation, and more. The integration's potential to revolutionize data analysis and collaboration ensures a keen eye on its evolution.
In this era of data-driven decision-making, Microsoft's Python in Excel heralds a transformative era where two juggernauts, Python and Excel, coalesce to empower analysts and organizations worldwide. The fusion of these platforms unlocks a future of unparalleled data exploration, analysis, and insight generation.
For IT freelancers, finding a job in Germany is currently difficult. A combination of inflation, economic recession and ever-increasing demands from clients are presenting more and more IT freelancers with challenges. In this situation, even experienced IT professionals face unfamiliar obstacles and have to deal with the stability and future of freelance work in the IT field.
1. Inflation and uncertainty:
Inflation of 6.2% in Germany, caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, has far-reaching economic effects. For IT freelancers in particular, this means the need to offer their services at prices that reflect the increased costs. The general uncertainty about future developments means that companies act more cautiously and projects are awarded more hesitantly.
2. Recession at home:
Germany is already in an economic recession for the third quarter in a row, which caused the gross domestic product to shrink by 0.3%. The reluctance of companies when it comes to new projects and investments has a direct impact on the demand for IT freelancers. With shrinking project budgets, outside experts are often the first to be crossed off the list, leading to a noticeable slump in orders.
3. Increasing demands from clients:
The demands of clients have skyrocketed in recent years - a development that poses particular challenges for IT freelancers. The expectation of the "perfect solution" is increasing, which raises the hurdle for many freelancers. Those who do not meet all the required criteria have a harder time acquiring orders.
4. Challenges for startups:
The once-bubbly startup scene faces its own difficulties. The bursting of the startup bubble and difficulties in raising or follow-up funding are impacting the availability of projects once offered by burgeoning startups.
5. The Impact of Rising Interest Rates:
Increasing interest rates have created a domino effect. Companies are more reluctant to make investment decisions, which is hampering demand for IT projects. At the same time, startups are also affected by this development, as financing options are narrowing.
In this demanding phase, flexibility is of the utmost importance for IT freelancers. The ability to adapt to changing market conditions, close cooperation with clients and the targeted search for niche markets could offer ways of asserting oneself in this challenging economic situation. Continuous training and the willingness to rethink existing business models are indispensable. The freelancer community is entering a period of change where adaptability and the spirit of innovation are more important than ever.
Analysis of price developments and their impact on different income groups
Recent inflation rates of 6.2% highlight the economic challenges consumers are facing. However, the impact of inflation is not the same for all income groups. A detailed analysis, which takes into account the weighting of expenses for different categories, shows how different the burden can be depending on the income level.
Housing costs: A significant part of the budget
For incomes of €1500, €2000 and €2500 net, housing costs take up the largest part of the budget, which is weighted at 33%. The costs for rent, mortgages or ancillary costs are therefore decisive for the standard of living. With an income of €1500, the housing costs already account for €495, which represents a significant part of the budget. With higher incomes, this amount increases accordingly.
Transport: increasing mobility costs
The Transportation category, with a weighting of 13%, includes vehicle, fuel and transportation costs. With the recent price hike of 6%, people on lower incomes in particular may feel an increase in mobility costs. With an income of €1500, this corresponds to an additional charge of €11.70 per month.
Food and beverages: Basic needs more expensive
Food and beverage spending (10% weighting) is critical for all income groups. With a price increase of 11% compared to the previous year, consumers can budget for higher expenses for their basic needs. With an income of €1500, this means additional monthly costs of €16.50.
Entertainment and culture: Leisure activities are becoming more expensive
The entertainment, leisure and culture category (11% weighting) also shows price increases of 6%. Spending on activities such as cinema, concerts or sporting events could increase. With an income of €1500, this corresponds to a monthly additional burden of €9.90.
Impact on different income brackets
The above examples illustrate how inflation affects different income brackets. Lower-income people tend to be more affected by price increases because they have to spend a larger proportion of their budget on basic needs. An increase of 6.2% in different categories can result in additional monthly expenses of around €60 for an income of €1500, while the impact is less noticeable for an income of €2500.
It is important to consider these differences in the burden of inflation when policymakers and economists analyze the impact of price increases. Managing inflation and implementing policies to support lower-income households can help offset the financial burden and mitigate social inequalities.
The latest ifo Business Survey, published on August 16, 2023, shows an increase in the shortage of skilled workers in German companies. The survey was conducted among approximately 9,000 companies from various industries throughout Germany. The results make it clear that more and more companies are having difficulty finding qualified workers. This trend is considered a cause for concern by experts, as it continues despite the current economic challenges.
Increasing shortage of skilled workers despite economic uncertainty
According to the results of the survey, a total of 43.1% of companies surveyed in July 2023 reported suffering from shortages of qualified workers. This represents a slight increase compared to the 42.2% in April 2023. One interesting aspect is that this increase was recorded despite a weakening economy. This trend illustrates that finding suitable employees remains a high priority for many companies.
Sector-specific challenges
The service sector is particularly affected by this shortage of skilled workers. In areas such as legal and tax consulting as well as auditing, 75.3% of the companies surveyed stated that they could not find enough applicants* with the required qualifications. Also the traffic range as well as architecture and engineer's offices are strongly concerned, whereby here even a new high level for these industries was reached.
In the area of IT equipment manufacturers, 43.1% of the companies surveyed are affected by a shortage of skilled workers, while in mechanical engineering the figure is 40.9%. In the manufacturing sector as a whole, the proportion has decreased slightly to 34.6%. In trade and construction, slightly less than one-third of companies complain about a shortage of qualified workers.
Outlook and conclusions
The continuing difficulty in finding qualified workers, despite economic uncertainty, raises questions about the future of the German economy. Experts stress that this shortage of skilled workers could hamper growth and innovation in the long term. Companies are increasingly being called upon to find creative solutions to meet their need for qualified employees. This could include investing in targeted education and training programs, promoting career paths in affected industries, and using technology to optimize work processes.
Overall, the Ifo Business Survey shows that the shortage of skilled workers in Germany continues to be a serious concern for companies in various industries. This requires a coordinated effort by business, educational institutions and government to address this challenge and ensure the competitiveness of the German economy in the long term.