Where the jobs are in European countries

EURES lists the occupation groups with the most shortages in Spain as health professionals, stationary plant and machine operators and agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers. Regions add their own needs, for example:

• Catalonia – medical specialists, nurses, car mechanics, cooks, software developers, heavy truck drivers,
• Madrid – family doctors, nurses, plumbers, waiters, cleaners, bricklayers, welders and other metalworkers, drivers,
• Basque Country – truck drivers and logistics staff, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, industrial engineers, electronic and mechanical technicians,
• Galicia – waiters, bricklayers, cooks, plumbers, heavy lorry drivers, welders.

The official Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations (Catálogo de Ocupaciones de Difícil Cobertura) for the third quarter of 2026 lists, in all provinces, building electricians, aluminium, metal and PVC carpenters and fitters, and crane operators – plus merchant-navy jobs and professional sport.

At national level EURES sees more candidates than jobs among science and engineering professionals and business and administration associate professionals – so graduates in these fields face strong competition. Farming hires seasonal workers for the grape harvest (September) and the olive harvest (December/January), and tourist regions hire many people in hotels and restaurants.