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The demand for formally qualified skills will increase

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) has updated their forecast for skills sup[ply and demand in Europe in order to review the impact of the recent recession. In general, the crisis seems to have speeded up the shift from employment in primary and manufacturing sectors towards the service industries.

The service and distribution and transport sector will gain most

Primary industries are expected to lose about 2.5 million jobs by 2020. Many of these will be agricultural jobs, which still employ a significant amount of people in some countries and regions. Services are still expected to provide most job growth between now and 2020, but significant increases in employment are also expected in the distribution and transport sector (including restaurants and hotels) as well.

The type of jobs that are expected to grow are mostly in management, professional and associate professional jobs. Around 8 million new jobs in these occupations are forecasted by 2020. However, significant increases, around 2 million jobs, are also expected for occupations in services such as sales, security, cleaning, catering and caring. The number of job openings as a result of retirement will be higher that those created as a result of economic growth.

Employment flexibility is of prime importance

The main message from the report is that in the short term Europe is likely to see quite large falls in employment. It is uncertain whether the recession’s imfluence on employment levels is finally over, or what the effects of the austerity measures governments are starting to implement will be. Prospects are better for the longer term, but policies are needed to make employment transition between sectors easier.

Contact

Questions can be directed to the Cedefop secretariat:
Telephone: +30 2310490111
E-mail: info@cedefop.europa.eu

Document Type

Research Document

Publication Date

February 2011

19 Mar 2011

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