EU Council: Migrants Hold Key to Job Growth
Nov 5, 2025
Category: EU Foreign Workers News
The European Union says that migrants are vital to hitting its 2030 jobs target, as new data shows that they’re already filling key labor gaps across Europe.
A new EU report released this October highlights that unlocking migrants’ skills could help boost employment and ease worker shortages across multiple sectors.
Filling Europe’s labor gaps
The EU’s latest Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2025 report says that migrants are already playing a major role in Europe’s workforce.
About 2.9 million non-EU citizens were employed across the bloc in 2023, making up 6% of the total labor force, compared with just 2% in 2010.
The report adds that around 7 million migrants could still join the job market if barriers were removed — a move that could help the EU meet its goal of a 78% employment rate among adults by 2030.
Barriers keep many from working
Despite the clear potential, many migrants still struggle to find stable work. The Commission notes that language barriers, unrecognized qualifications, and discrimination remain common obstacles.
Migrant women often face added challenges such as childcare and family responsibilities that limit their job opportunities.
The report also shows a gap between education and employment: migrants with higher education are more likely to be jobless than native citizens, even though they’re more willing to work.
EU pushes for inclusive labor reforms
To close these gaps, the European Commission is calling for tailored national policies that combine language training, skills programs, and job-search support.
It also recommends faster recognition of foreign qualifications and simpler work-permit systems through the EU’s Single Permit Directive.
These measures, the report notes, would help attract and retain workers in sectors with acute labor shortages, while ensuring fair access to employment opportunities for all.
Migrant workers already strengthening economies
Across Europe, data show that migrant labor is already supporting national economies.
In Portugal, the number of foreign workers more than tripled between 2017 and 2022, with their social security contributions now covering 17% of the country’s pension and retirement costs. In the Czech Republic, workers from Ukraine under Temporary Protection have, at certain times, contributed more in taxes than they received in benefits.
Investing in skills, inclusion
The EU’s Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 aims to improve how qualifications obtained outside the EU are recognized.
The EU Skills Profile Tool for Third-Country Nationals, available in multiple languages, maps migrants’ skills and experience to help match them with job opportunities.
A new Skills Portability Initiative will explore ways to create common EU rules for recognizing skills gained abroad, while the Fair Labor Mobility package focuses on fair and transparent employment conditions for all workers, including those from third countries.
New projects supporting migrant workers
Funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) supports several transnational projects launched in 2024.
These include POWGEN, which helps migrants join the renewable energy sector; WISER, which supports migrant women entrepreneurs; and INTEGRALITY, which promotes the inclusion of agricultural workers.
Travel rules tied to changing labor landscape
The EU’s plans to make travel smoother through the Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) could indirectly support its new labor goals.
The EES, launched in October 2025, replaces manual passport stamping with digital records that log every entry and exit by non-EU visitors. This helps track short-term and long-term travelers and identify overstays more efficiently.
When ETIAS begins operating in late 2026, citizens from 59 visa-exempt countries will need online travel authorization before entering any of the 30 participating European countries.
The system aims to strengthen border security while keeping travel convenient through faster digital processing.
Together, these tools give the EU clearer data on who enters, leaves, or stays — information that could guide future migration and workforce strategies.
For short-term visitors or seasonal workers, quicker border checks mean easier movement between home countries and EU job sites.
For migrants already living in Europe, the systems provide a framework for legal, traceable entry that supports the EU’s goal of integrating workers safely into its labor market.
A workforce Europe can’t ignore
The European Commission’s analysis concludes that migrant labor is key to sustaining growth and meeting future workforce demands.
As Europe faces an aging population and skills shortages, integrating migrants more effectively into national labor markets is seen as essential for economic resilience and long-term competitiveness.