The SEPE's Occupations Observatory publishes a report that classifies the mismatch between supply and demand as a structural feature of the Spanish labour market. Construction, industry, transport, hospitality, and healthcare face the greatest coverage difficulties.
The State Public Employment Service (SEPE) has published a report prepared by the Occupations Observatory that outlines the mismatch between job supply and demand in Spain. The document concludes that this is not a one-off problem, but a structural feature of the labour market, as reported by merca2.es.
The paradox is precisely depicted: companies cannot find candidates for certain profiles while thousands of people remain registered as job seekers. This coexistence of unfilled vacancies and high unemployment is the core of the analysis.
The report integrates official statistics, surveys, and administrative records to map out the occupations and economic activities with the greatest coverage difficulties. It is not a typical academic document: it is a tool that guides where to look if one is seeking work.
The first message from the Observatory is that the mismatch cannot be corrected solely by the economic cycle. It persists even when the situation changes. The scarcity of candidates, lack of experience, and deficit of technical skills are among the main causes, but they are not the only ones.
Labour conditions offered, geographical mobility, the ageing of the active population, and difficulties in generational replacement in specific trades also play a role. None of these factors can be fixed on their own.
The territorial dimension is another key aspect. The same occupation may experience a shortage of candidates in some provinces while there is an excess of job seekers in others. The mismatch, therefore, is not uniform across Spain.
The same occupation may be in surplus in one province and in shortage in the neighbouring one: the mismatch is also geographical.
The observatory identifies the activities where filling positions is most complicated. Construction, industry, transport, hospitality, and healthcare account for a significant portion of the hiring problems.
In construction, technical trades face generational replacement difficulties. In industry, there is a lack of specialised profiles. In transport, professionals with specific qualifications are in demand. In hospitality, seasonal positions and high turnover complicate hiring. In healthcare, there is a shortage of professionals with accredited skills.
There is an important nuance. The report highlights that differences between occupations weigh more than differences between sectors. In other words, within the same sector, there are profiles that are filled without issue alongside others that remain vacant for months.
This diagnosis has a practical reading. If one is seeking employment, the Observatory's map indicates where there is less competition for each vacancy. In profiles with structural scarcity, finding work is quicker; in those with an excess of candidates, competition is fierce.
The report also calls for strengthening the alignment between training and employment. Translated for candidates: demonstrating specific technical skills weighs more than accumulating generic qualifications. Specific training in sectors with deficits is the most direct route to entry.
It is advisable to pay close attention to working conditions. The document itself states that the conditions offered explain part of the difficulties in filling vacancies. Not all offers that remain unfilled do so due to a lack of labour: some are simply unattractive.
Vacancies in hospitality and construction are often associated with split shifts, rotating schedules, and availability on weekends. These are legal and common conditions, but it is better to know them before applying. The scarcity of candidates is not always solely due to a lack of profiles.
The Observatory advocates for improving labour intermediation mechanisms and for policies tailored to each sector and territory. For candidates, the consequence is simple: check what is being hired in their province before deciding where to send their CV.
The full report is available on the SEPE portal, along with the provincial bulletins from the Observatory itself. Registration as a job seeker remains open permanently to access mediated offers.
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