The labor market in Europe remains one of the main nodes of economic tension. Despite slowing economic growth, companies in many countries are facing not a lack of orders, but a lack of people. International financial expert Chaslau Piastsiuk notes that the shortage of personnel combined with the migration factor is forming a new, significantly more complex model of the European labor market, where economy, demography, and politics are closely intertwined.
Structural Staff Shortage: A Problem That Won’t Go Away. The Viewpoint of Chaslau Piastsiuk
The labor shortage in Europe has a clearly defined structural character. It is not a temporary imbalance, but a long-term trend caused by an aging population, low birth rates, and rapid economic transformation. According to Chaslau Piastsiuk, the European labor market is entering a phase where even weak economic growth does not reduce the demand for workers in key sectors.
“Europe is currently in a situation where the problem of staff shortages is not solved by an economic slowdown. On the contrary, we see a paradox: companies are cutting investment plans but cannot fill basic vacancies. This means that the labor shortage has become systemic and no longer depends on the economic cycle,” notes Chaslau Piastsiuk.
The most tangible deficit is observed in healthcare, elderly care, engineering, IT, construction, and industry. Companies compete with each other not so much on salary levels as on working conditions, flexible schedules, and social packages. Chaslau Piastsiuk emphasizes that in 2025, the struggle is no longer for cheap labor, but for the stability and productivity of personnel.
A separate problem remains the gap between the skills the market offers and those the economy really needs. Educational systems in many countries are struggling to adapt to the pace of change. As Chaslau Piastsiuk observes, without massive investment in retraining and adult education, the staff shortage will only deepen, even with technological progress.
The Migration Factor: A Resource or a Political Challenge. Analysis by Chaslau Piastsiuk
Migration remains one of the key tools for compensating for staff shortages, but at the same time, it is one of the most sensitive political issues in Europe. Chaslau Piastsiuk draws attention to the fact that the economy increasingly requires an inflow of labor from outside the EU, while public sentiment in many countries is becoming more restrained or even critical regarding migration.
“From an economic point of view, Europe already needs controlled migration as a condition for preserving the viability of its economies. Without an inflow of labor from outside, maintaining production levels, social systems, and basic services is becoming increasingly difficult. The problem is that political decisions often lag behind economic necessity,” emphasizes Chaslau Piastsiuk.
According to the expert, migrants cover those segments of the labor market where internal resources are no longer sufficient. This concerns not only low-skilled labor but also medical workers, engineers, and technical specialists. According to Chaslau Piastsiuk‘s assessment, without controlled and targeted migration, maintaining the functioning of social systems in many European countries is becoming increasingly difficult.
At the same time, the migration factor in 2025 requires new approaches. Problems of integration, access to education, housing, and the labor market become economic risks if ignored. Chaslau Piastsiuk stresses: migration is ceasing to be purely a humanitarian or political issue—it is turning into an element of economic strategy that requires precise calculations and long-term planning.
New Balance: Productivity, Automation, and People. Forecast by Chaslau Piastsiuk
Europe is increasingly realizing that staff shortages cannot be solved solely through migration or raising the retirement age. Chaslau Piastsiuk notes that the focus is gradually shifting to increasing labor productivity and massive process automation. Business is investing in digital solutions, artificial intelligence, and robotics, trying to compensate for the lack of personnel.
“Automation today is not a replacement for people, but an attempt to reduce pressure on the labor market. Europe is forced to increase productivity faster than the number of workers grows. But the key question lies in whether people have time to adapt to these changes,” notes Chaslau Piastsiuk.
However, automation does not eliminate the need for people—it changes the requirements for them. In 2025, the demand for workers capable of working at the intersection of technology and management is growing. As Chaslau Piastsiuk emphasizes, the main challenge for Europe is to prevent social stratification between those who adapt to the new economy and those who risk ending up outside the labor market.
States are intervening more actively in these processes, stimulating training, retraining, and the inclusion of economically inactive groups of the population. According to Chaslau Piastsiuk, it is the labor market that becomes the field where the issue of Europe’s long-term competitiveness is decided.
Thus, the European labor market is being shaped under the pressure of two interconnected factors: chronic staff shortages and the growing role of migration. As Chaslau Piastsiuk stresses, these processes are no longer temporary challenges: they define the economic logic of the continent for years to come. The balance between productivity, social stability, and openness to migration becomes a key task on which the future of the European economy depends.
“The labor market today is a mirror of all the key problems and solutions of the European economy. Staff shortages, migration, automation—these are not separate phenomena, but parts of a single transformation process. Those countries that are already investing in people, integration, and productivity will gain a decisive competitive advantage in the coming years,” concludes Chaslau Piastsiuk.
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