{"id":47885,"date":"2025-09-13T07:40:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T07:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/opportunity-or-necessity-rethinking-mobility-in-the-face-of-eu-labour-shortages\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T07:46:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T07:46:58","slug":"opportunite-ou-necessite-repenser-la-mobilite-face-aux-penuries-de-main-doeuvre-dans-lue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/opportunite-ou-necessite-repenser-la-mobilite-face-aux-penuries-de-main-doeuvre-dans-lue\/","title":{"rendered":"Opportunit\u00e9 ou n\u00e9cessit\u00e9\u00a0? Repenser la mobilit\u00e9 face aux p\u00e9nuries de main-d'\u0153uvre dans l'UE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The EU\u2019s <\/span>EURES platform<\/span><\/a> is trying to even things out by encouraging cross-border mobility. But is this really a path to opportunity \u2014 or just another symptom of systemic imbalance in EU employment policies?<\/span><\/p>\n

A union of free movement \u2014 on paper<\/b><\/h3>\n

The European Union promises freedom of movement, but for many workers, relocating to another country is far from easy. Legal, linguistic, and cultural barriers still stand in the way. And according to the European Labour Authority, the actual structure of employment in member states doesn\u2019t align with what their economies really need.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means some countries have too many professionals in certain roles, while others are desperately short \u2014 leading to the strange paradox of joblessness and unfilled vacancies existing at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this is not just a minor glitch. A <\/span>recent report<\/span><\/a> shows that 24 EU countries have a surplus of workers in specific jobs, while 29 countries are facing shortages. Take plumbers, for example: Spain has more than it needs, while Ireland is struggling to find enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

In theory: just move North?<\/b><\/h3>\n

It sounds simple: shift skilled workers from oversupplied areas in the South to high-demand areas in the North. But in reality, it often means leaving your home behind \u2014 not because you want to, but because you have no other option.<\/span><\/p>\n

EURES \u2013 the EU\u2019s digital tool for labour mobility<\/b><\/h3>\n

The EU\u2019s main answer to this challenge is EURES, a digital platform run by a network of national employment agencies with support from the European Commission.<\/span><\/p>\n

EURES helps people find jobs abroad and connects talent with regions that need it. One of its most powerful tools is the “Shortages and Surpluses Dashboard” \u2014 an interactive database where you can filter jobs by country and year. This helps jobseekers spot where their skills are most needed and make decisions based on real-time labour market data.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the catch: this whole system assumes that moving to another country is realistic for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

What if you don\u2019t have the money to move, need to care for your family, or don\u2019t speak the local language? Can we really call this freedom, or is it just another version of economic pressure disguised as opportunity?<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about geography<\/b><\/h3>\n

The labour market mismatch goes beyond borders. The report highlights that women and young people are especially affected. They\u2019re more likely to work in \u201csurplus\u201d professions \u2014 jobs where there are already too many workers on the local market.<\/span><\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t just limit their job options; it also deepens existing social inequalities. When moving for work becomes a necessity rather than a choice, can we really talk about free access to employment?<\/span><\/p>\n

And is the EU strategy taking these critical nuances into account?<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving people instead of reforming systems?<\/b><\/h3>\n

On paper, shifting workers from surplus to shortage regions is a clever way to balance things out. But in practice, it means changing your home, your healthcare system \u2014 and often your language. That\u2019s a huge leap, especially for communities where people aren\u2019t used to moving.<\/span><\/p>\n

EURES presents this model as a gateway to \u201csatisfying, secure and stable\u201d jobs. And for some \u2014 especially young people without family commitments \u2014 it genuinely could be a stepping stone to career growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

But for others, relocating isn\u2019t an adventure. It\u2019s a last resort driven by economic necessity.<\/span><\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the big question: should mobility really be the main fix for education and labour market mismatches? Or should we be investing more in local vocational training and retraining systems that match people\u2019s skills with actual job market needs?<\/span><\/p>\n

Free movement or systemic pressure?<\/b><\/h3>\n

We also need to zoom out. EU treaties guarantee the right to live and work anywhere in the bloc. But using that right to fix structural imbalances raises important political questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the current system helping richer countries fill their gaps by \u201cimporting\u201d skilled workers from less developed regions \u2014 rather than helping those regions grow their own labour markets?<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that EURES is doing anything wrong \u2014 it\u2019s doing what it was designed to do. But the way it\u2019s being used might be making internal inequalities in the EU worse, not better.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is something that deserves attention not just from the European Commission, but also from member states that consistently \u201close\u201d skilled workers to their wealthier neighbours.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a digital help, but is it enough?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Tech plays a big role in today\u2019s EU labour strategy. Platforms like EU Survey and job shortage databases make it easier to search for jobs abroad. The data is filterable, updated, and transparent \u2014 which helps people feel more in control of their careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s only part of the picture. These platforms don\u2019t provide housing, don\u2019t compensate for wage gaps between countries, and don\u2019t help you adjust to life in a new culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a big gap between digital job listings and real, hands-on support for people ready to take the plunge into a new life abroad. What\u2019s still missing are tools that prepare workers not just to find jobs, but to actually make the move \u2014 and thrive after they do.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The EU\u2019s EURES platform is trying to even things out by encouraging cross-border mobility. But is this really a path to opportunity \u2014 or just another symptom of systemic imbalance in EU employment policies? A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":37258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[675],"tags":[10855,10856,10857,8312,10858,10859,10860,10861,10862,10863,10864,10865,8163,8165,8167],"post_formats":[737],"coauthors":[3870],"class_list":["post-47885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diversite-et-inclusion","tag-brain-drain-fr","tag-economic-migration-fr","tag-employment-opportunities-fr","tag-employment-policy-fr","tag-eu-labour-market-fr","tag-eures-fr","tag-european-workforce-fr","tag-free-movement-fr","tag-internal-eu-migration-fr","tag-job-mobility-fr","tag-labour-shortages-fr","tag-skills-mismatch-fr","tag-social-inequality-fr","tag-vocational-training-fr","tag-youth-employment-fr","post_formats-serie-darticles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47885"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47892,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47885\/revisions\/47892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47885"},{"taxonomy":"post_formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=47885"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=47885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}