In less than 10 years, by 2030, Europe will have already lost 13.5 million workers, a UN report says.
The biggest shortages are reported in the manufacturing and construction sectors, but also in the service sector, in Eastern Europe, where 39% of manufacturing companies and 42% of construction companies cite labor shortages as a factor contributing to business constraints. Three out of four European companies also had difficulty recruiting suitable workers in 2019, a Eurofund survey cited by Universal Robots shows.
Under the circumstances, industry players, policymakers and authorities are trying to figure out what the response to this demographic shift should be.
According to Universal Robots, urgent gaps in the workforce can be filled through collaborative automation, as the robots can be delivered within weeks, change position and role as gaps arise in the production line. Automating and delegating heavy, repetitive, monotonous and possibly dangerous processes to collaborative robots allows companies to give existing employees the opportunity to develop professionally to perform more valuable and rewarding work, while increasing the attractiveness of the workplace.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)