Unskilled worker numbers in Denmark set to outstrip available jobs

The number of positions has fallen by 50 percent over the last 20 years

Stephen Gadd

In the future, there is a risk that Denmark may face an increasing gap between the number of unskilled workers on the job market and the number of unskilled jobs available to them.

Back in 1995, around every fourth job was held by an unskilled worker. Today, it is around every eighth job, reports the economic council of the labour movement, Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd.

READ ALSO: Danish window manufacturers need workers

Since the mid-1990s, the job market has become increasingly specialised, and for that reason a more specialised and more highly qualified workforce is required. So over this period, the number of jobs available to unqualified workers has decreased substantially.

Both a glut and a shortage
Both in 1995 and 2015, the number of unskilled workers was highest in the agricultural, fishing and forestry sectors, whilst it was lowest in finance and research.

The council predicts there will be a surplus of about 70,000 unskilled workers in 2025, whilst at the same time there will be a shortage of 65,000 skilled workers.

That is why the council feels it is so important to invest in education so that companies – both now and in the future – can get the right workforce with the right qualifications.

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