Skip to main content
European Union flag
EU Construction Platform

Labour Market Imbalances in Europe Continue to Affect Key Sectors

Skills policy & resilience

20 July 2026

Labour Market Imbalances in Europe Continue to Affect Key Sectors

Login / create an account to be able to react

A photo presenting people during the meeting in the office.

A new report on labour shortages and surpluses in Europe shows that labour market imbalances remain significant across EURES countries in 2025, despite some easing since the post-pandemic period. The findings point to structural challenges driven by demographic change, skills mismatches, job quality issues and limited labour mobility.

Authors

Editorial Team

Related Organisation(s)

European Labour Authority

Topics
Geographical descriptors

EU-27

Organisation Type

Academic / Research and VET Institutions

EU Institutions

Local Authorities

National authorities

Trade Unions

  • Focus Areas

    • Competitiveness

    • Skills and talent

Share

The report highlights that shortages remain widespread across many occupations and are particularly visible among professionals, skilled trades and machine operators, while surpluses are more concentrated in clerical and elementary roles. For the housing and construction ecosystem, the findings are especially relevant because medium-skilled and occupation-specific roles remain under pressure, reinforcing the need for vocational training, better job attractiveness and improved matching of skills across borders. The analysis also shows that ageing workforces, gender segregation and underused labour mobility continue to shape labour market pressures, underlining the need for coordinated action on skills, working conditions and workforce availability. Find the report here

#ConstructionSkills #ConstructionTraining #EUConstruction #EuropeanConstruction #TwinTransition

Rating
No votes yet

Comments (0)

See also

-
Comment
0
  • Skills policy & resilience
  • 07 Jan 2026

European Construction Observatory report on current and future skills needs

On 16 th December 2025 the European Commission unveiled the Analytical Report on Skills of the European Construction Observatory, on current and future skills needs...
Categories
Skills and talent Regulatory framework Research, Innovation, Technology +2 more
-
Comment
0
  • Skills policy & resilience
  • 20 Jul 2026

Study Examines a Just Transition for Workers in the Built Environment

A new study by Ecorys explores how the shift to a low-carbon economy is transforming Europe’s construction and building materials sectors and what this means...
Categories
Skills and talent Towards a fair and safe built environment