Labour market shortages in the European Union

Labour market shortage is identified as sustained market disequilibrium between labour supply and labour demand. A quantitative labour market shortage refers to a situation in which the total supply of labour in an economy falls short of the total demand for labour. Currently, quantitative shortages are not a serious problem in the EU, due to the high unemployment rate in most regions. Qualitative labour shortages occur if the labour demand in a specific sector, occupation or skill level is higher than the labour supply. Top-3 qualitative shortage groups across the EU are metal, machinery and related trade workers, science and engineering professionals, as well as ICT professionals. Case studies of policy measures in various countries show successful ways to combat qualitative shortages.