Labour shortages and surpluses in Europe 2024

Widespread shortages were identified in many occupations. They seem to persist over time and are often highly severe.  Healthcare services, the construction sector and hospitality, in particular, have been on the shortage list for many years. Megatrends, such as demographic change and the green transition, are expected to exacerbate shortages in some of these occupations.

Among the most widespread shortage occupations, identified in at least three quarters of reporting countries are welders and flame cutters, nursing professionals, cooks and building and related electricians.  The list also includes several health professional occupations and craft and related trades occupations. As in previous editions of the report, widespread shortage occupations include many jobs in engineering and construction.

For 422 of the 430 occupations (98 %) that have been classified as in shortage in at least one country, there exists at least one other country that has identified the same occupation as being in surplus. Several challenges, as outlined in the report however, may hinder transnational labour matching, such as obstacles to recognising qualifications across countries and language barriers.

The report relies on data from EURES National Coordination Offices to identify labour shortages and surpluses. It uses additional quantitative and qualitative sources, including special labour force extractions from Eurostat and focus groups with key stakeholders to contextualise the findings, characterise the shortage occupations and provide a more in-depth analysis of the topic. This edition also puts special emphasis on the on the analysis of shortages for the most vulnerable groups on the labour market.

The 2024 report features a dedicated examination of labour shortages within the transportation and storage sector, which is facing substantial labour shortages in the EU, particularly in occupations such as drivers and mobile plant operators. The COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened these shortages by disrupting training and certification processes.

The report also contains a specific analysis in five transportation and storage subsectors : land, water and air transport, warehousing, storage and support activities for transportation and postal and courier activities. 

This year a Practicioner’s guide is published together with the report, with the EURES Advisers in mind, helping identify opportunities for collaboration and helping support jobseekers and employers more effectively.