{"id":1927,"date":"2026-09-14T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fosfor.nl\/?p=1927"},"modified":"2026-08-31T11:33:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:33:18","slug":"shortage-occupations-in-2026-how-to-approach-your-recruitment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fosfor.nl\/en\/knelpuntberoepen-2026-zo-pak-je-je-werving-aan\/","title":{"rendered":"Shortage occupations in 2026: how to approach your recruitment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Skills shortage occupations in 2026 are roles for which the number of suitable candidates consistently falls short of demand. In engineering and industry, these include mechanics, welders, electricians, operators and technically skilled tradespeople. For you as an employer, this means longer vacancy periods, greater competition for the same people and the need for a data-driven recruitment approach.<\/p>\n

Does this sound familiar? Your vacancy has been advertised for weeks, applications are trickling in, and the candidates who do apply aren\u2019t the right fit. This isn\u2019t just bad luck, but the result of a labour market that has been extremely tight for technical roles for years. In this article, you\u2019ll find out which roles will be the most difficult to fill by 2026 and how you can adapt your recruitment strategy accordingly.<\/p>\n

What are the shortage occupations in engineering and industry in 2026?<\/h2>\n

Shortage occupations are those for which employers consistently struggle to find enough suitable candidates. For years, the UWV has classified technical and industrial roles as difficult to fill due to a combination of an ageing workforce, low intake from the education system and sustained demand (UWV, 2025).<\/p>\n

The difference compared with a standard job vacancy lies in the balance between supply and demand. In a shortage occupation, there are simply more vacancies than there are skilled workers available, which means that the candidate is in the driving seat, not the employer.<\/p>\n

According to the CBS labour market dashboard<\/a> Tension in the labour market remains high: there are more job vacancies than there are unemployed people (CBS, 2025). In technical sectors, this pressure is even higher than average.<\/p>\n

Which technical roles will be the most difficult to fill in 2026?<\/h2>\n

The most acute labour shortages in 2026 will be in the fields of installation engineering, metalworking, electrical engineering, the process industry and the maritime sector. These are the occupations where there has been a shortage of workers for years and where recruitment problems are piling up the most (UWV, 2025).<\/p>\n\t\t

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