EU faces widening skilled labor shortage, looks to recruit foreign workers

With a growing need for skilled labor, the EU, as cited by Euro News, is facing challenges in maintaining its competitiveness and supporting its economic recovery.

Reports inform that the EU’s new strategy aims to promote workforce mobility, attract foreign talent, and increase investment in training. As part of the initiative, the EU plans to make the Erasmus+ exchange program more accessible, strengthen the skills pact for worker retraining, and support visas for foreign students.

A new project called “Choose Europe” also seeks to attract skilled workers from outside the EU.

However, Bosch cautioned that the EU is not the only region seeking skilled workers; so will China and India and Arab countries. He stressed that these countries are offering high salaries to attract talent, and that quick action is needed.

According to European Commission Vice-President for social rights, Roxana Mînzatu, skills, and quality employment, businesses across the EU are struggling to find workers with the right skill sets.

“Four in five businesses struggle to find the workers that they need with the right skill set. There are more than 40 occupations with EU-wide shortages, especially in important sectors like construction, trades, transport, and some healthcare professions,” Mînzatu told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, according to Euro News.

This shortage is attributed to a combination of factors, including a lack of alignment between worker qualifications and employer requirements.

An expert on skills and labor markets at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), Ilias Livanos, noted,

“There could be pressures because of the demand… the education systems are not prepared for this.” 

Livanos specifically pointed to rapid developments in ICT professions, making it difficult to predict the demand for specific skills over the next few years.

Reports inform that experts have warned that the labor shortage will likely intensify due to demographic changes and the ongoing digital and ecological transitions.

Senior research associate at the Egmont Institute, Peter Bosch, explained that the EU will lose 1 million workers each year until 2050, putting additional strain on the labor market. Bosch also cited technological shifts such as robotization and artificial intelligence, which are changing the skills required in various industries.

“Europe’s economic recovery, with large investments in infrastructure and defense, will further intensify demand for skilled workers,” Bosch added. He highlighted the European rearmament plan and Germany’s massive investment in defense as examples of initiatives requiring a substantial workforce.

To address the labor shortages, reports cite that both the education system and employers have key roles to play. Livanos emphasized that training and skill development are not solely the responsibility of educational institutions but also individuals and companies.

“The skill system has no single owner,” he noted, pointing to the need for ongoing training to equip workers with the necessary skills to meet changing demands.

“The skill system has no single owner,” he noted, pointing to the need for ongoing training to equip workers with the necessary skills to meet changing demands.

The European Commission has also taken steps to address the issue through its “Skills Union” initiative. Launched on March 5th, the initiative focuses on improving training and boosting European competitiveness. Mînzatu explained that the initiative includes “skills guarantees” to help companies hire or train workers at risk of losing their jobs.