SMEs facing difficulties finding workers with the right skills, EU Member States, 2023 (% of SMEs)

Living and working in Europe 2024 provides a snapshot of Eurofound’s key research findings on the changing nature of work and life across the EU. Labour and skills shortages continued to dominate policy debates, as structural issues linked to demographic shifts, poor job quality and the demands of the green and digital transitions intensified recruitment challenges. The report examines how the cost-of-living crisis has persisted – despite easing inflation – and continues to affect households across income levels. It also explores the ongoing housing crisis, which is delaying key life transitions for young people and contributing to growing social inequality. Meanwhile, access to social protection remains uneven, particularly for unemployed and self-employed workers. Eurofound’s latest survey data also reveal a decline in remote work opportunities, despite worker preferences for hybrid arrangements. The report also highlights declining trust in institutions, closely linked to financial insecurity. Taken together, the findings capture the challenges and opportunities of this period of profound transition, reinforcing the importance of inclusive, evidence-based policymaking to support a fair and sustainable Europe.

You can also explore the digital version of Living and working in Europe 2024.

This report provides updated evidence on the persistence of labour shortages amid declining levels of labour market slack in the EU and at Member State level. This serves as a background to the main focus of the report, which is on organisational policies aimed at attracting workers to occupations in which shortages are common. Case studies were conducted across sectors and Member States to gain an insight into how organisations deal with recruitment and retention challenges in a tight labour market. The report offers lessons on steps employers can take to fill vacancies, whether acting alone or in partnership with other organisations. It builds on previous Eurofound research that developed a taxonomy of actions employers adopt aimed at addressing labour shortages.