Skill Shortages and Skill Mismatch in Europe: A Review of the Literature

Giorgio Brunello and Patricia Wruuck
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Patricia Wruuck: European Investment Bank

No 12346, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Labour markets are currently in a phase of cyclical recovery and undergoing structural transformation due to globalisation, demographic trends, advancing digital technologies and automation and changes in labour market institutions. Against this background, businesses increasingly report that the limited availability of skills poses an impediment to corporate investment. Genuine skill constraints can negatively affect labour productivity and hamper the ability to innovate and adopt technological developments. For individual Europeans, not having "the right skills" limits employability prospects and access to quality jobs. For Europe at large, persistent skill gaps and mismatches come at economic and social costs. This paper reviews the recent economic literature on skill mismatch and skill shortages with a focus on Europe a focus on Europe.

Keywords: Europe; mismatch; shortages; skill (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2019-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec, nep-lma, nep-ltv and nep-tid
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

Published - published in: Journal of Economic Surveys, 2021, 35 (4), 1145-1167

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