As of 2023, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the European Union were - on average - able to hire appropriately skilled employees for open positions in less than three months, according to 38.9 percent of SMEs surveyed. A slightly smaller share of respondents - 37.9 percent - reported the average length of a hiring process taking between three and twelve months, while more than ** percent said the process took longer than *. Skills and labor shortages in Europe have been a persistent challenge for businesses during the , as the unemployment rate in the EU is at a record low, with the job vacancy rate rising to a record high during 2022, before declining slightly in 2023.
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European Commission. (October 31, 2023). Average amount of time that it takes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire appropriately skilled workers in Europe in 2023, by country [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/
European Commission. "Average amount of time that it takes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire appropriately skilled workers in Europe in 2023, by country." Chart. October 31, 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 28, 2026. /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/
European Commission. (2023). Average amount of time that it takes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire appropriately skilled workers in Europe in 2023, by country. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 28, 2026. /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/
European Commission. "Average Amount of Time That It Takes Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (Smes) to Hire Appropriately Skilled Workers in Europe in 2023, by Country." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 31 Oct 2023, /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/
European Commission, Average amount of time that it takes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire appropriately skilled workers in Europe in 2023, by country ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/ (last visited July 28, 2026)
Average amount of time that it takes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire appropriately skilled workers in Europe in 2023, by country [Graph], European Commission, October 31, 2023. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1446300/average-hiring-time-skilled-employees-sme-europe/
