Over 2023-2024, the GFP worked on the issue of labour shortages and mismatches, and their relationship to business productivity. The project relied on administrative data to create new indicators of labour shortages and mismatches at the industry and country level, as well as on a large data collection effort to understand labour shortages at the firm level. The analyses delivered new insights on (i) how labour shortages and mismatches are determined, in particular in a context of ageing, digitalisation and decarbonisation; (ii) the features of firms that are more likely to experience shortages and mismatches; and (iii) the relationship between the emergence of labour market shortages and firm productivity.
Labour shortages and productivity
How do labour shortages and skill mismatches impact business productivity—and what role do ageing, digitalisation, and the green transition play?
Over 2023–2024, the GFP tackled these questions by combining administrative data and large-scale firm surveys to produce new indicators and insights.
Context
Further reading
How do structural trends affect labour market shortages and mismatch?, OECD Productivity Working Paper (December 2025)
The Firm Side of Labour Shortages: Five new facts from the GFP Employer Survey, OECD Productivity Working Paper (December 2025)
Occupational Reallocation and Mismatch in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Country Evidence from an Online Job Site, OECD Productivity Working Paper (May 2024)
Related events
"Understanding Talent Shortages in an age of transitions: Evidence on Austria and the OECD", Workshop, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), October 2025
“Understanding talent shortages in an age of transitions”, Luca Marcolin, presentation. “Advancing Industry 5.0” Conference, Leuven, Belgium (June 2025).
“All hands on deck: structural trends and labour market shortages”, Luca Marcolin, presentation. Sixth World Labor Conference, Toronto, Canada (June 2025).
“Comprendre la pénurie de main-d’œuvre : les forces structurelles en jeu -- Nouveaux résultats des analyses du Forum Mondial sur la Productivité”, Francesco Filippucci, presentation. “Journée de Réflexion autour de l’Apprentissage tout au long de la vie”, Brussels, Belgium (May 2025).
Labour Shortages: Evidence and Policy implications, OECD Workshop (February 2025)
Talent Shortages in the EU – New OECD Insights and Policy Implications, Agenda, Seminar, Brussels (March 2025)
"Understanding Labour Shortages: The Structural Forces at Play", Luca Marcolin, Presentation, Brussels (March 2025)