This article written by Dr Katerina-Marina Kyrieri, Lecturer, EIPA Maastricht and Eleni Roidou, external Research Assistant to the IOM LINET study, underlines the importance and necessity of satisfying labour demands through the migration of less-skilled workers.

The study examines in particular:

• The percentage of third country nationals (TCNs) employed in mid- and low-skilled occupations in EU countries
• The types of work carried out by migrant workers
• The adequacy of formal qualifications to capture skill requirements
• The countries' approaches to identifying skill and labour shortages
• The foundations of staff shortages in semi and low-skilled occupations
• The responses to perceived labour and skill shortages and the reasons which limit them.

The authors conclude that long-term benefits for the host society and migrants depend on the extent to which migrants can find a job in line with their educational attainment and skills equally to native workers. The following aims are identified: increasing transparency and removing prioritisation in professions with skill shortages, as well as upskilling and facilitating the acquisition of soft skills through lifelong learning and/or continuing vocational training.