How Can Europe Address Its Labor Market Needs at a Time of Upheaval?

Six years on from the 2015-16 migration crisis, Europe faced another inflection point on immigration. Employers were reporting worker shortages at all skill levels across sectors, fuelling calls for policymakers to revisit immigration policies to help address some of these needs, including through partnerships with countries of origin. However, Europe faces growing competition from other immigration destinations in attracting and retaining foreign workers with in-demand skills.

The arrival of more than 5 million Ukrainian evacuees from February to May 2022 presented an opportunity for Europe to mitigate some of these labour shortages. But unlocking new arrivals’ human capital and helping them enter the labour market takes time and deep investments in skills recognition, job matching, and (re)training opportunities.

This webinar, held as the European Union unveiled its new skills and talent package, explored how Europe can address its labour market needs at a time of great upheaval, and the role that immigration and immigrant integration policy can play in helping to propel Europe’s economic recovery, and opportunities for deeper coordination.

Speakers:

Luca Barani, Policy Officer, Integration, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission

Robert Plummer, Senior Adviser, Social Affairs Department, Business Europe

Marcin Wiatrów, Deputy Director, Labour Market Department, Ministry of Family and Social Policy, Poland

Uwe Wusterhausen, Division for Immigration Law and Humanitarian Admission, German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community

Moderator:

Kate Hooper, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute (MPI)