Overcoming skills shortages in the EU
Labour force shortages persist across the EU in a range of sectors and skills levels. Employers cannot currently find the workers they need. This is especially a problem for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as an EU survey shows.
In tackling labour and skills shortages, the EU’s priority is to maximise the potential of the domestic workforce. However, this will not be enough to address the shortages, and that is why attracting skills and talent from abroad must be part of the solution.
To meet this challenge and help Member States compete in the global race for talent, the Commission has put forward three actions as part of a Talent Mobility Package. These are
- making recruitment from outside the EU easier
- faster recognition of professional qualifications and skills gained in third countries
- fostering learning mobility for all
The package also reflects that partnering with third countries is key to ensure that mobility produces mutual benefits.
Why action is needed
The unemployment rate was at a record low of 6% in September 2023, and the job vacancy rate rose to 2.9% in 2022 – more than double the level of 2012. Demographic change will exacerbate the labour market challenges facing the EU. The working age population will decline from 265 million in 2022 to 258 million in 2030.
Making recruitment from outside the EU easier
The Commission is proposing to establish an EU Talent Pool to facilitate the recruitment of jobseekers from non-EU countries, based on shortages occupations and labour market needs. Participation in the EU Talent Pool will be voluntary for Member States, who will support the management of the platform.
The platform will help match skilled third country nationals and employers more quickly and easily, whilst providing information for both jobseekers and employers on recruitment procedures and living and working conditions. It will also protect third country nationals from possible exploitative practices.
To improve relations bewteen the EU and key partner countries, the EU Talent Pool will also support the implementation of Talent Partnerships. These partnerships would provide mobility for work or training, increasing opportunities for legal migration and making irregular migration less appealing.
Faster recognition of professional qualifications and skills gained in third countries
The Commission has recommended to facilitate the recognition of skills and qualifications of third-country nationals. The set of measures will modernise the system currently in place and bring it closer to the system established for EU nationals that move to another Member State. The aim is to allow for quicker recognition decisions to fill vacancies in EU shortage occupations. The system will include recommendations to develop capacity in corresponding national authorities to simplify and expedite procedures, by improving the compatibility of third country qualifications and how to assess jobseekers’ skills.
Making learning mobility an opportunity for everybody
The Commission invites Member States to make learning mobility within the EU an integral part of all education and training pathways – from school education and vocational education and training, to higher and adult education, and youth exchanges. The Commission is proposing to increase the share of mobility experiences for 2030 to at least:
- 25% for higher education graduates
- 20% for learners with fewer opportunities
- 15% for vocational learners
It also promotes the attractiveness of the EU as a place to learn for people from third countries.
Background
Without concerted action to address the increasing skills shortages in the EU, the current trends can undermine the green and digital transitions, dampen the EU’s competitiveness, and weaken public services in areas already facing a shortfall of workers such as healthcare and long-term care. That is why this package is so important, building on work under way with the Skills and Talent package and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and contributing to the current European Year of Skills with its focus on a strategic approach to solving labour and skills shortages.