Abstract:

The article deals with labor market characteristics analysis of three geographic European zones (Northern Europe, Central Eastern Europe, the Baltic States), both factors and conditions analysis of migrants’ employability, bottleneck vacancies analysis in these zones. Statistical data, characteristics, institutions, traditions and employability are extremely important for labor market regulation.

This study is based on an analysis of information presented in documents of the United Nations, the OECD, the Eurostat, the World Bank as well as in scientific literature. Statistical methods are widely used for data processing: both vacancies and migrants’ unemployment indicators etc. Main measurement tools are bar charts design, ranking, grouping and data classification, experts evaluations.

Despite decades of long efforts of harmonization, there are still gaps in the European Union members’ labour markets in terms of labour demand, employment and barriers. In this article, we have looked at some macro indicators and reviewed about 800 bottle-neck vacancies to identify differences across blocks of the EU member-states, sectors and level of education referring to skill levels in demand. There are large gaps between Nordic states and Southern member -states. Differences in levels of economic development also seem to have an effect on labour demand in different countries.

Our bottle-neck vacancies analysis has shown that specialists with higher vocational education and secondary vocational education are equally demanded in 12 selected EU member-states. At the same time, specialists with secondary vocational education are more demanded in the Baltic States whereas those with higher vocational education are demanded in the Nordic countries where knowledge economy development is especially emphasized. In Central and Eastern European countries, presented vacancies in a labour market are rather balanced – both specialists with secondary vocational education and specialists with higher education are needed.

Under bottleneck vacancies analysis a great emphasis was made upon high-tech/non hi-tech economic sectors. Vacancies demanded in high-tech economic sectors (235 vacancies with higher vocational education and 78 vacancies with secondary vocational education) are mostly represented with mountain metallurgy technicians, software developers, chemical engineers, mechanics, biotechnologists, heavy industry technicians, IT engineers, and electrical engineers. These vacancies are particularly demanded in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Non-high-tech bottleneck vacancies (365 vacancies with higher education and 122 vacancies with secondary vocational education) are represented in such economic sectors as construction, light industry, forestry, transportation and trade. Medical staff vacancies (i.e. doctors, psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, social workers) are also in high demand. Health care specialists are primarily demanded in Finland, Hungary, and Lithuania. One possible reason for that could be rapidly ageing population in these countries resulting in higher demand for healthcare professionals. Vacancies in non-high-tech economic sectors are demanded in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia as well as the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Keywords:

Labour market, EU workers, employability, bottle-neck vacancies.