A new Eurobarometer survey released today finds that skills shortages are one of the most serious problems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the EU. The challenge of skills shortages has grown over the years and now encompasses all EU Member States and all sectors of the economy.
The survey is a useful tool in understanding the impact of skills shortages on SMEs, and will feed into the Commission's policy making. Among other things, it will inform the implementation of the SME relief package that was adopted in September 2023 and stipulates various actions to improve the skills situation for SMEs in the EU. The survey also complements another recently published Eurobarometer study which, among other things, focuses on the training and skilling activities of businesses.
Some of the key conclusions of the Eurobarometer study are:
Today's Eurobarometer 537 study on 'SMEs and skills shortages' was initiated in the context of the European year of skills. It was carried out between September and October 2023 in the 27 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Turkey, the United States, Canada and Japan. More than 19 350 companies (both SMEs and large companies) were interviewed via telephone. The main analysis report focuses on SMEs in the EU (13 253 interviews), which are compared to those for large companies (with 250 or more employees) surveyed in the EU (855 interviews), and to those for SMEs in a selection of non-EU countries (3 925 interviews).
Following today's publication, the survey will be presented at the EU´s annual SME assembly which takes place from 13 to 15 November in Bilbao, Spain and is the EU´s flagship event for SMEs, bringing together hundreds of policy makers.
The need for additional policy support as regards skills was also recognized in the EU´s SME relief package, which addresses the hardship experienced by many EU SMEs throughout the ongoing string of political and economic crisis. It presents a comprehensive set of measures related to the reduction of administrative burden, improved access to finance, life cycle support measures as well as actions in support of skills, including among other things the facilitation of the mutual recognition of qualifications of third country nationals. The package also foresees that the Commission will soon present a proposal to establish an EU Talent Pool and an initiative to improve the recognition of qualifications and skills of third country nationals to help skills gaps in the EU labour market. Moreover, the Commission will work with groups whose untapped entrepreneurial potential remains high, such as women, young people and persons with disabilities, through awareness, mentoring and coaching campaigns.