Comparative Analysis of Skill Shortages, Skill Mismatches, and the Threats of Migration in Labor Markets

A Sectoral Approach in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine

Bibliographic Data

ID13026005
AuthorsVioleta Cvetkoska (0000-0002-0472-5522, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje), Predrag Trpeski (0000-0003-2454-6342, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje), Igor Ivanovski (0009-0003-4856-3312, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje), Filip Peovski (0000-0002-7988-7403, Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje), Meryem Hamsi İmrol (Ankara University), Berk Babadoğan (0000-0002-8840-3992, Ankara University), Halil Ecer (Ankara University), Durmuş Ziya Görür (0000-0002-3674-7355, Ankara University), Umut Selvi (Ankara University), Adula Bekele Hunde (0000-0002-0285-1170, Kotebe University of Education), Fekede Tuli Gemeda (Kotebe University of Education), Yosef Beco Dubi (Kotebe University of Education), Segii Melnyk (State Scientific Institution "Institute of Educational Analytics"), Andrii Lytvynchuk (0000-0002-7523-558X, State Scientific Institution "Institute of Educational Analytics"), Hanna Tereshchenko (0000-0002-9458-2843, State Scientific Institution "Institute of Educational Analytics")
Year2025
Volume14
Issue5
Pages294-294
Publication date2025-05-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/socsci14050294
OpenAlexW4410308012
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited22

Labor markets worldwide are increasingly strained by skill shortages, mismatches, and migration pressures, disrupting workforce stability and economic growth. This study conducts a comparative sectoral analysis in North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ethiopia, and Ukraine, focusing on the manufacturing, information and communication technology, and hospitality sectors, to examine the root causes and economic consequences of these challenges. Using a qualitatively driven mixed-methods approach, the research integrates expert interviews, surveys, and labor market data to assess skill gaps, workforce imbalances, and the role of migration. The findings reveal education–industry misalignment, inadequate vocational training, and low wages as persistent drivers of shortages. Additionally, the war in Ukraine, internal conflicts in Ethiopia, and refugee inflows in Türkiye amplify workforce instability, while North Macedonia faces severe emigration, particularly in the sectors of manufacturing and information and communication technologies. These insights are essential for policymakers, industry leaders, and educators in designing labor market interventions that foster workforce resilience. The study recommends national qualification reforms, industry–education collaboration, and improved wage structures to mitigate talent loss and strengthen labor market sustainability. By offering empirical evidence from diverse socio-economic contexts, this research contributes to global discussions on workforce development, migration economics, and labor policy reforms

Demographic economics · Dreyfus model of skill acquisition · Economic growth · Economic shortage · Economics · Geography · Labour economics · Employment and Welfare Studies · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Migration and Labor Dynamics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access