EURES-Labour Shortages report

The findings of this report confirm that there are significant labour shortages and surpluses throughout the economies of the EU27, Norway and Switzerland. This imbalance in labour demand and supply exists at both the national and the regional level, and it is due to a multiplicity of factors. It is noteworthy that the report found that employment in many of the most often identified shortage and surplus occupations is dominated by one gender. Factors such as new technologies, the transition to a climate-neutral economy, the ageing of the workforce and conditions of work and employment have all made significant contributions to the evolving relationship between labour demand and supply in Europe. The imbalance is present at every level of education. The overall situation however is that most of those employed in either the widespread shortage or surplus occupations have a medium level of education – albeit those employed in the shortage occupations tend to have medium level qualifications of a more technical nature.

There is a considerable degree of labour mobility between European countries, and between European countries and other countries. In general, this movement is motivated by a desire to find employment which offers higher remuneration and improved conditions of work and employment.

The report found that the lack of the skills required by employers in the local labour market is a major contributary factor in the level of labour shortages and surpluses in Europe, and consequently any strategy designed to resolve these imbalances must include a significant role for the education and training system.