SkillsPULSE contributes to the new Cedefop publication: “Human-centred Digital Transitions and Skill Mismatches in European Workplaces”

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Cedefop has just published a major new working paper, “Human-centred Digital Transitions and Skill Mismatches in European Workplaces“, offering in-depth analysis of how digital transformation is reshaping skills demand across the EU. The report, part of Cedefop’s Working Paper Series (No 28/January 2026), draws on the second European Skills and Jobs Survey (ESJS2) and innovative data sources to provide evidence on skill mismatches, training participation, digital task content and emerging labour market dynamics.

One of the chapters of this publication, Chapter 7: “Measuring potential skill shortages in Europe”, develops a novel framework for identifying potential skills shortages across occupations, which specifically combines traditional survey insights with real-world job vacancy data to provide a more comprehensive view of where skills gaps are likely to emerge across the European workforce.

The chapter is authored by our partners Seamus McGuinness, Elisa Staffa & Co.

SkillsPULSE’s Contribution

In particular, SkillsPULSE has directly contributed to this publication by proposing a new indicator designed to identify potential skills shortages. This indicator creatively combines survey data from the ESJS2 with online job vacancy data (e.g. from Lightcast), offering a more nuanced and timely signal of where shortages might occur in the labour market.

This innovative approach strengthens the evidence base available to policymakers and labour market stakeholders, helping to better anticipate skills needs and shape more effective employment and training policies across the EU. The integration of multiple data sources in skills anticipation represents an important step toward bridging the gap between measured demand and real labour market conditions.