The matching dilemma – What does research say?

In recent years, reports from a business and employer perspective have highlighted that employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find workers with the right skills (see e.g., Svenskt Näringsliv 2022a; 2024; Tillväxtanalys 2024; Tillväxtverket 2023).

These reports identify the skills shortage in the labor market as one of society's biggest barriers to economic growth and, therefore, as one of the most important issues for the future. This suggests that there is a significant mismatch in the labor market.

The project aims to provide an overview of how previous research has specifically explained the nature of this matching problem and, in doing so, provide Region Halland with knowledge and perspectives to contribute to the ongoing debate on labor market matching. The empirical foundation is based on scientific articles that have, in some way, addressed the issue of labor market matching. The scope is limited to examining the matching problem in the Nordic countries during the period 2012-2023.