As of 2023, the issue which most SMEs in the European Union cited as the biggest challenge they faced in hiring skilled staff was that applicants did not have the right qualifications, skills, and experience, with 32.1 percent of respondents citing this issue. For the United Kingdom and Switzerland, this issue was also cited by a large number of SMEs, while for Turkish SMEs it was less prevalent. Skills shortages have become a commonly cited complaint by businesses in Europe during the 2020s, as unemployment rates have reached record lows, while job vacancy rates have risen.
Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023
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Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023
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European Commission. (October 31, 2023). Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 11, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/
European Commission. "Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023." Chart. October 31, 2023. Statista. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/
European Commission. (2023). Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/
European Commission. "Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' (Smes) Biggest Challenges in Finding Skilled Staff to Fill Open Positions in The European Union, Uk, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/
European Commission, Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/ (last visited May 11, 2025)
Small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) biggest challenges in finding skilled staff to fill open positions in the European Union, UK, Switzerland, and Turkey in 2023 [Graph], European Commission, October 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446325/sme-challenges-hiring-skilled-employees-europe/
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