Which jobs are in demand in your country?

Official lists of in-demand jobs exist in most countries, but they measure different things: visa shortages, projected growth or unfilled vacancies. This post compares the UK, US and EURES sources we could read, with the year of each figure.

Lists change every few months. Check the linked source before you plan a move.

Where can I find the most in demand jobs?

Start with the public body of the country where you want to work. Each one answers a different question, so read what the list actually counts before you rely on it.

In the sources below, the UK list is about visas, the US list is about growth, and the EURES report is about shortages reported by public employment services in Europe.

Which jobs are in demand in the UK?

The UK has two lists tied to the Skilled Worker visa. The Home Office describes the Immigration Salary List as a list of job types that have a lower salary threshold for the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas. Its page was last updated on 11 November 2025.

The Temporary Shortage List is the newer one. In a letter dated 23 July 2026, the Migration Advisory Committee recommended that 28 occupations should receive 18-month access to it. The letter says the list is a time-limited route for roles below RQF level 6. These are recommendations to the Home Secretary, and the letter states no decision by the government. Read the occupation codes on GOV.UK before relying on them.

Which jobs are growing fastest in the US?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the three fastest-growing occupations from 2025 to 2035 are nurse practitioners (41 percent), solar photovoltaic installers (37 percent) and data scientists (35 percent). Wind turbine service technicians follow at 30 percent.

This is a growth projection, not a shortage count. A small occupation can grow fast and still have few openings. The BLS page also lists median pay for 2025 for each occupation, which helps you see the size of the job.

Which jobs are short of workers across Europe?

The EURES report for 2024 says welders and flame cutters, nursing professionals, cooks and building electricians are short of workers in at least three-quarters of the reporting countries. It adds that healthcare, construction and hospitality have been on shortage lists for many years, and that transport and storage have large shortages of drivers and mobile plant operators.

The report also finds that 422 of the 430 occupations in shortage in at least one country are in surplus in at least one other. That is why a shortage in one country does not mean employers elsewhere are hiring. Qualification recognition and language can limit moving between countries, which the report names as barriers.

For one country, the national sources are more exact. If you apply abroad, our post on applying in another country covers the practical side.

Does a shortage list mean I will get hired?

No source we read says so. A list shows where employers or public bodies report too few workers. It does not say how many employers are hiring near you, or what experience they ask for.

Use the list to pick which job titles to search for. Then work from real job ads in your own region.

How should I use a list when I apply?

Treat the occupation name as a starting point and read the ads under it. Employers write the same job in different words, so note the terms that repeat.

Then adapt your CV to each ad. Our guide on how to tailor your CV to a job description explains how to do that from your own experience. If the employer uses an applicant tracking system, see ATS-friendly CV.

1. Pick the country and read its official list.
2. Search job ads under the occupation names you find.
3. Compare your CV with two or three ads and note the terms they share.
4. Check any visa or qualification rule on the official government page.