Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists are the most sought-after professionals in the European Union, making up 9% of all online job advertisements in 2023, according to new data from Eurostat. The findings shed light on the EU’s labor market trends, highlighting the most in-demand skills and occupations.
ICT Specialists Dominate Job Ads
In 2023, ICT specialists were featured in 871,000 online job advertisements, underscoring the high demand for professionals in this field. Software and applications developers and analysts ranked second with 515,000 ads (5.3%), followed by engineering professionals at 412,000 ads (4.3%).
Other notable professions included manufacturing workers (385,000 ads), physical and engineering science technicians (351,000 ads), and shop salespersons (312,000 ads). Transport and storage laborers, sales and marketing managers, clerical support workers, and financial professionals also featured prominently.
Healthcare and Service Occupations in Demand
The healthcare sector had a strong presence in online job postings, with 96,000 ads for doctors and 115,000 for personal care workers in health services. Combined with other health-related roles, these accounted for 3.5% of total job ads. Service roles, such as cooks and food preparation assistants, also saw significant demand, with nearly 100,000 ads posted.
Heavy truck and bus drivers were another key occupation, appearing in 136,000 ads, while car, van, and motorcycle drivers were sought after in 61,000 postings.
Key Skills Employers Seek
Across all fields, “willingness to learn” emerged as the most frequently requested skill, appearing in 26.2% of job ads. Teamwork skills were also highly valued, with 21.4% of postings highlighting the need for collaboration. Proactivity ranked third at 12.4%, while creative and innovative thinking was less commonly sought, appearing in only 4% of ads.
Understanding Recruitment Challenges with OJAR
Eurostat’s Online Job Advertisement Rate (OJAR) provides insights into recruitment challenges, taking into account both job ads and the number of employees in each sector. Sales, marketing, and development managers had the highest OJAR at 26.6%, followed by manufacturing workers (22.4%) and other sales workers (17.6%).
Public sector roles like healthcare workers and teachers were less represented online, likely due to traditional recruitment methods outside digital platforms.
Caution on Job Ad Data
Eurostat cautions that job advertisements are not direct indicators of vacancies. Some ads may represent multiple positions or exploratory postings by employers. Moreover, certain roles, particularly in the public sector, may not be widely advertised online.
The data offers valuable insights for job seekers and policymakers, pointing to the growing demand for ICT specialists and the evolving skillsets required in the EU’s labor market.
