OECD: shortages are concentrated in high-skilled jobs, cognitive abilities and deep knowledge areas
Mapping Skill Shortages in OECD Countries, from the Getting Skills Right series, covers 38 countries using the Skills for Jobs Database. The most persistent shortages are in ICT, health, engineering and teaching roles, and in specific knowledge such as computers and electronics, medicine, and cognitive abilities. Physical abilities are in balance. The report also says generative AI may reduce demand for junior workers while demand for experienced workers holds steady. Launched on 14 October 2026.
Deep knowledge in a domain plus strong analytical ability is where demand is outrunning supply, so building in that direction pays off. Early-career workers should push for stretch work that gives them experience faster, since entry-level work is the part most exposed to AI.
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