In-person event

Where are the shortages, where are the workers? The drivers behind labour shortages in Europe and how to tackle them

On 29 March 2023, Eurofound and the European Labour Authority (ELA) organised a one-day event on labour shortages in the EU: Where are the shortages, where are the workers? While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated shortages in some sectors where they had been endemic for some time, recent developments in the economy and labour market, combined with the challenges of the digital and green transition, have further increased pressure on Europe’s tight labour market. Watch the video highlights!

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Where are the shortages, where are the workers? The drivers behind labour shortages in Europe and how to tackle them

When?

Tuesday, 28 March 2023

Where?

Brussels, BE

Organised by

Eurofound and European Labour Authority

Event background

On 29 March 2023 (9:30 - 16:00), Eurofound and the European Labour Authority (ELA) organised a one-day event on labour shortages in the EU: Where are the shortages, where are the workers?

While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated shortages in some sectors where they had been endemic for some time, recent developments in the economy and labour market, combined with the challenges of the digital and green transition, have further increased pressure on Europe’s tight labour market.

To understand the full scale and nature of and get behind the real drivers of these labour shortages, as well as solutions on how to tackle them, ELA and Eurofound presented new research from the European employment services (EURES) report on labour shortages and surpluses 2022 and on Measures to tackle labour shortages: Lessons for future policy.

This one-day event brought together up to 70 participants from the EU institutions, national governments and social partners, NGOs and practitioners to explore the Agencies’ new findings and to learn from measures implemented at national level to tackle labour shortages in the health, care and information and communications technology sectors, as well as those arising from the twin digital and green transitions. It was also a chance for participants to engage with speakers and experts on issues relating to the main labour shortages and surpluses in occupations but also, crucially, to explore the root causes of these shortages and which measures work best to address different drivers.

In late 2022, job vacancy rates reached unprecedented highs, with ongoing demographic trends raising concerns that recruitment challenges could increase further in certain sectors, occupations and regions. With this fight for talent and ensuing impact on growth and competitiveness intensifying, tackling labour shortages is high on the EU policy agenda and reflected in the EU’s country-specific recommendations. A wide range of EU initiatives are also targeting this complex phenomenon, including in relation to the green and digital transition, skills, mobility and migration. In addition, the European Commission has declared 2023 the European Year of Skills to further emphasise the importance of initial and ongoing skills development to meet Europe’s labour market requirements.