Tackling skill mismatches and skill shortages is a major challenge in the context of rapidly changing skill needs. In most countries, a substantial share of employers report that they cannot find workers with the skills their businesses require. At the same time, many graduates struggle to find jobs that match their qualifications.
In light of these challenges, the OECD has developed the Skills for Jobs Database to provide harmonised data on occupational and skill imbalances that enable cross-country comparisons and support policy co‑ordination in labour mobility and talent development. The database was launched in 2017 and updated again in 2022, making this the third edition of the Skills for Jobs Database. This third edition is particularly relevant, as it analyses how skill needs have evolved following recent disruptions such as the COVID‑19 pandemic and the rapid acceleration of AI adoption.
This work feeds into the OECD’s extensive programme of work on skills, including the Getting Skills Right series, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Survey of Adult Skills and related analyses in the areas of skill shortages, skill mismatches, work-based learning and future readiness. This report describes the method behind the OECD Skills for Jobs Database 2026 and presents country estimates of occupational imbalances and skill shortages.
The work on this report was carried out by Marcela Veselkova and Isabel Skak Olufsen under the supervision of Glenda Quintini from the Skills and Future Readiness Division of the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. The report has benefited from helpful comments provided by Patricia Navarro-Palau, Michele Tuccio, Andrea Salvatori, Arthur Felix and Blanca Jimenez Vicente. The analysis benefited from data guidance from Pascal Marianna. Analysis for Australia, Canada and New Zealand would not have been possible without data shared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Canada and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in New Zealand.