By GlobalRAWS Research Team
Published: August 31, 2026
A labour shortage does not always mean that a country has too few people. The real problem may be missing skills, weak training systems, unsafe workplaces, poor job matching, or a lack of childcare. Evidence from Germany, the United States, Vietnam, Nigeria, Malaysia, Australia, and South Africa shows that worker shortages have many different causes.
Germany Has Workers, but Not Always the Right Match
Germany’s official skilled-worker portal identifies strong demand for nurses, doctors, engineers, IT specialists, craftspeople, transport workers, and green-energy professionals. However, Germany’s Economy Ministry says the country does not have a nationwide shortage in every occupation. The gaps are concentrated in particular sectors and regions.
At the same time, up to 1.2 million people aged 15 to 29 may be outside employment, education, or training. This estimate depends on the age group and statistical definition used. This is a skills-matching problem. Available workers may lack the qualifications, language ability, location, or support needed for open jobs.
US Trades Need More Trained Workers
A 2026 Lightcast study estimated a shortage of 1.3 million skilled-trade workers in the United States. The study identified around 2.1 million openings each year, with roughly three openings for every person completing a relevant training programme. Retirements were estimated to create about 40 percent of annual openings. These figures are an industry estimate, not an official vacancy count. However, they show why apprenticeships, technical education, and certification are important.
Vietnam Has Orders but Lacks Technical Skills
Supporting-industry companies in Hanoi report that worker shortages are affecting production. Tomeco planned to recruit around 160 workers for a new factory but had hired only about 70. The company said some orders could not be completed on schedule because it lacked enough trained workers.
Technical employees may need months of workplace training before they can meet production and international quality standards. Automation also means workers must operate, monitor, and maintain new systems. The problem is therefore not only finding people. It is finding people who can perform the job.
Safety Is Driving Healthcare Workers Away
Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis is adding to its healthcare staffing problems. BusinessDay, citing the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, reported that 91 health workers were kidnapped and 15 were killed across 101 incidents between 2023 and 2025.
Insecurity can force medical workers to leave rural facilities or move abroad. When one health worker disappears from a poorly staffed community, thousands of patients may lose access to care. Specialist training also matters. A CodeBlue commentary described how Malaysia’s private dialysis centres depend on nurses with post-basic renal qualifications. These nurses manage complex machines, vascular access, and life-threatening emergencies. Losing one specialist nurse is not the same as losing a worker who can be replaced quickly.
Childcare Is Also Workforce Infrastructure
Some parents cannot enter or remain in employment because childcare is unavailable or too expensive. Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed that around 700,000 parents with children under 15 were out of work in 2022 to 2023. About 85 percent were mothers. Caring for children was the main barrier reported by many parents.
Among mothers who wanted work or more hours but were unavailable, about 28 percent said childcare was unavailable, fully booked, or absent from their area. A 2026 US analysis found that 46 percent of children aged five and under lived in licensed childcare deserts in 2025. The share exceeded 70 percent in rural communities.
South Africa Disputes the Simple Shortage Story
South Africa’s Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana Meth, rejected the claim that South Africans are unwilling to work. She argued that the larger problem is a shortage of employment opportunities. The government still accepts that some critical skills are scarce. However, it wants employers to recruit locally first and use foreign workers lawfully when genuine gaps remain. This shows why shortage claims require occupation-level evidence. High unemployment and shortages in specific professions can exist at the same time.
The Main Lesson
Worker shortages require more than recruitment. Effective responses may include:
- Training linked directly to employer needs
- Apprenticeships and practical skills assessment
- Safer workplaces and better retention
- Childcare access for working parents
- Support for rural and remote workers
- Better matching between workers and vacancies
- Lawful international recruitment for verified gaps
A shortage report is not automatic permission to recruit internationally. Employers must still follow local-hiring rules, professional licensing, immigration requirements, and worker-protection standards.
Sources
- Germany’s official list of professions in demand
- Vietnam supporting-industry worker shortage
- Nigeria’s security and healthcare staffing crisis
- Specialist renal-nursing pressures in Malaysia
- Australian childcare barriers to employment
- Licensed childcare deserts in the United States
- South Africa’s position on local employment
