Labour shortages and surpluses, the new EURES report

The new EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses is online. Focused on 2022, the report, drafted by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (FGB), has been published in the European Year of Skills, as the European Commission declared 2023, to underline the importance of developing the right skills to meet the demands of the labour market. The analysis of European labour market includes energy transition, digital transformation and migrations.

The EURES document was presented on 29 March in Brussels, during the event Where are the shortages, where are the workers? organised by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofund) and the European Labour Authority (ELA). Together with the study, the report Measures to tackle labour shortages: lessons for future policy, published by the ELA, was also presented.

Looking at the European context, the EURES report focuses on the labour shortages and surpluses reported by the national coordination offices. This year it also includes an analysis of the factors that have led to the current labour market imbalances, such as the impact of new technologies, the ageing of the population, the climate issue and precarious employment conditions.

The study identified 29 countries with labour shortages and 24 with surpluses. Most shortages are in software, health care, construction and engineering, while the largest surpluses are in office occupations and in occupations related to the humanities and arts.

Read the full report