Labour shortages in the health and technology sector in our country are noticeable, according to a European report, which was published yesterday Monday.
Specifically, according to the EURES report, Cyprus recorded 63 occupations with labour shortages and 11 occupations with a surplus in 2024.
Shortages in Cyprus are found in a wide range of professions, with the greatest severity, however, being recorded in nurses, midwives, IT and communication technology sales professionals, systems analysts, software and application developers, web and multimedia developers, medical imaging equipment technicians, waiters and bus drivers.
Shortages of moderate severity are recorded, among others, in restaurant managers, retail and wholesale trade managers, accountants, electricians, electronic and mechanical technicians, chefs, shop salespeople, cashiers, builders, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians, welders, drivers of heavy vehicles, cleaners, workers in agriculture, livestock, fishing and construction.
Low-severity deficiencies are found in occupations such as health and elderly care service managers, engineers of various specialties, general and specialist medical doctors, hotel receptionists, cooks, health assistants, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, bakers and kitchen assistants.
Imbalances and population ageing
At the European level, the report points out that, in countries such as Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands, employers face difficulties in filling a wide range of jobs, from doctors to welders, with 57% of shortages classified as moderate or high severity. In contrast, countries such as Latvia, Austria and Finland are more likely to experience labour surpluses, mainly in administrative and creative occupations.
The report attributes the persistence of imbalances to factors such as limited information among workers about job opportunities abroad, difficulties in the recognition of professional qualifications between Member States, language barriers and differences in pay. Particular reference is made to the health and care sectors, where they are recorded by the largest staff shortages in Europe, due to the ageing population and the increasing demand for health services. At the same time, the green transition is increasing the demand for professions such as electricians, plumbers and roofing technicians.
The AI facto
It is recalled that artificial intelligence (AI), according to relevant research, is significantly transforming jobs worldwide. New research conducted ahead of the start of this year's summer World Economic Forum (WEF) held on June 23-25 in the Chinese city of Dalian, has shown that AI is changing not only the skills that employers value, but also the career paths of employees at all stages of their development.
According to the same research, artificial intelligence has a more visible effect on younger workers, but also on those entering the labour market. Globally, more than one, among three young workers, work in jobs with medium to high exposure to AI-changing job tasks.
