Researchers behind the study, from the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at RFBerlin, point to labour shortages as the main driver. The gaps are concentrated in healthcare, IT, construction, and hospitality. These sectors have struggled to fill roles from local labour markets alone, so employers have leaned more heavily on foreign hiring to keep up with demand.

Part of the issue comes down to demographics. Several EU countries have ageing populations and shrinking domestic workforces, which means there simply aren’t enough local workers to fill the roles opening up each year. That gap has been widening for a decade, and it’s now large enough that immigration policy has shifted from a background issue to an active tool governments use to keep their economies running.

Healthcare is the clearest example. Hospitals across the EU are short-staffed on nurses, care workers, and doctors, and several countries have simplified qualification-recognition processes specifically to bring in foreign-trained healthcare workers faster. Germany, Ireland, and the Czech Republic have all expanded fast-track routes for medical professionals in the past two years.

IT shortages are less about ageing and more about a straightforward skills gap. Software development, cybersecurity, and data roles have grown faster than European universities can produce graduates, so companies have turned to skilled migration to fill the difference. This is one of the few sectors where non-EU applicants often compete on equal terms with local candidates, since employers value technical ability more than nationality.

Construction demand is tied to specific national projects — housing shortages in several countries, along with infrastructure and green-energy building programmes, have created a sustained need for tradespeople that local labour markets can’t meet on their own.

Hospitality shortages tend to be seasonal but persistent, particularly in countries with large tourism industries. Staff turnover is high and local workers increasingly avoid the sector, which has pushed employers toward hiring from abroad even for entry-level roles.