Nearly half of European small and medium companies say they have difficulty finding skilled workers. A Eurobarometer survey released on 1 June 2026 found 46 % of SMEs struggle to recruit the right talent. Only one in seven SMEs have tried to hire workers from outside the EU in the past two years, and among those that did, 54 % described the process as difficult. The most cited obstacles were complex administrative and immigration procedures (31 %), difficulty locating suitable candidates (25 %), and language barriers (24 %). Most firms handle recruitment themselves, with limited awareness of public support. The survey recommends financial aid, information, assistance in finding candidates, workplace integration help, and immigration support. The EU Talent Pool platform aims to match job vacancies in shortage occupations with foreign workers.
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