Key figures & process
Skill shortage
Also: Skills shortage · Labor shortage · Skills gap
Skill shortage refers to the situation where vacant positions cannot or can hardly be filled due to a lack of suitably qualified individuals. In Austria, it is noticeable in many sectors and shifts market power to the candidates.
Key Points
- According to the WKÖ Labor Radar 2025, around 78% of surveyed companies are affected by the labor and skill shortage.
- Particularly affected are sectors such as technology, healthcare, IT, and tourism.
- The shortage shifts market power: candidates can choose between multiple offers.
- Successful hiring relies on Active Sourcing, employer branding, short time-to-hire, and passive seekers.
What is skill shortage?
Skill shortage is when the labor market lacks adequately qualified individuals in certain professions or regions to fill open positions. It is distinct from the general labor shortage (too few workers overall) and the skills gap, the gap between existing and required competencies.
How severely is Austria affected?
The shortage is notably felt across many sectors in Austria. The Austrian Chamber of Commerce Labor Radar 2025 indicates that around 78 percent of surveyed companies are affected by the labor and skill shortage. The situation is particularly tense in technical professions, healthcare, IT, and tourism.
Consequence: shifted market power
Where qualified people are scarce, they choose between multiple offers. Is an ad enough? Less and less so. Employers need to proactively and convincingly approach candidates.
What helps against skill shortage?
- Active Sourcing: directly reach out to suitable people instead of waiting for applications.
- Reach passive seekers: The majority of the market is not actively searching but open for good offers.
- Strong employer brand: a credible promise of why one should work here.
- Short time-to-hire: fast, clear processes to prevent good candidates from being lost to quicker competitors.
- Skill-based hiring: open the candidate pool beyond formal criteria, including career changers.
Reactive
Post the job ad and wait for applications. This hardly works anymore with scarce specialists.
Proactive
Directly and relevantly address the target group, maintain the talent pool, keep the process lean, and strengthen the employer brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is skill shortage the same as labor shortage?
- Not quite. Labor shortage refers to an overall shortage of workers. Skill shortage specifically refers to the lack of suitably qualified people for certain tasks. The WKÖ Labor Radar encompasses both.
- Which sectors are most affected in Austria?
- Sectors such as technical professions, healthcare, IT, tourism, and gastronomy are considered particularly strained. The specific situation varies by region and qualification level.
- What can candidates gain from the skill shortage?
- In high-demand professions, the shortage improves negotiating positions: more options, better conditions, and the chance to select employers based on culture and development instead of having to accept any offer.