The January edition of the European Vacancy Monitor shows that high skill levels remain important for employment opportunities. Additionally with regard to the young people in the EU and according to the report, almost half (48%) of all job-finders in 2010 (or around 20 million) were aged between 18 and 29 years old.

The European Vacancy Monitor published by the Commission, the number of job-finders in the ‘professionals’ group has grown by 34% in the second quarter of 2011 and the number of job seekers who found jobs as ‘legislators, senior officials and managers’ has grown by 25%. Therefore, high skill levels remain important for employment opportunities. In April 2011, MEPs already proposed to invest more in education and youth mobility.

Regarding young jobseekers in Europe, 20 million young men and women found a new job. 48% of the job finders in 2010 were young persons, so these count for most of the movement on the labour market (new entrants, job changers). The share of young jobseekers who found a job compared to all age categories is high for professionals (higher qualified), in services (clerks, service and sales workers), while young persons are under-represented in traditional occupational groups such as elementary occupations, plant and machine operators, craft and trade related workers.

On the other hand, according to the January issue of the European Job Mobility Bulletin, based on the vacancies published on the EURES portal, good job opportunities are available for architects, engineers and related professionals; computing professionals; building finishers and related trades workers; office clerks; and physical and engineering science technicians. The top five jobs published on the EURES portal at the beginning of January were finance and sales associate professionals, electrical and electronic equipment mechanics and fitters, modern health associate professionals, administrative associate professionals, and machinery mechanics and fitters.