Labour shortages are a significant topic in European policy discussions. Despite over 13 million people being unemployed in the EU, key sectors such as transport are facing acute labour shortages. The EU’s current focus on competitiveness—through cost reduction and deregulation—leans heavily toward corporate interests, paving the way for austerity policies that unfairly impact workers. Instead, the EU must prioritise improving job quality to meet evolving demands and safeguard working conditions.
Labour shortages are particularly severe in several subsectors of the transport and storage industry. In Germany, for example, four out of ten bus and tram drivers will retire in the next few years. In France, the average age of bus drivers is over 46, and public transport companies sought to recruit more than 2,000 drivers by June 2023 (figures from presentation of UITP, June 2023). Across the EU, the age of truck drivers continues to rise, with too few young drivers entering the profession—more than a third of truck drivers are over 55. Only 6% of drivers in passenger land transport are under 25. Women also remain underrepresented among truck drivers, despite significant levels of female unemployment in some countries.
These figures are documented in the European Labour Authority’s June 2025 report. Through focus group discussions with the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the report examined the scale and causes of labour shortages in the sector. It found that shortages are especially pronounced among heavy truck and lorry drivers as well as bus and tram drivers.
For instance, 21 EURES countries (EURES countries are the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) report shortages of heavy truck and lorry drivers, with 48% of those shortages classified as highly severe. For bus and tram drivers, 18 EURES countries report shortages, 28% of which are considered highly severe. The case of heavy truck and lorry drivers is especially alarming, as this occupation has been listed among the top 10 shortage occupations for the past five years, indicating a structural, rather than temporary, issue.
Employment trends further highlight the problem: between 2021 and 2023, employment in bus and tram driving grew by 7%, and in heavy truck and lorry driving by 4%, yet shortages persist.
Young workers (under 30) remain underrepresented, raising concerns about the future of the workforce unless action is taken to improve working conditions, training opportunities, and the overall attractiveness of the sector. For instance, only 4.7% of bus and tram drivers and 8.9% of heavy truck and lorry drivers in the EU-27 are aged 15–29. With the expansion of public transport necessary to address climate change and growing heat stress in our cities, it is alarming that 53% of bus and tram drivers are expected to retire within the next 15 years. This suggests a potential shortage of 396,000 bus and tram drivers by 2040.
Root Causes and Solutions
Why is the sector facing these shortages? One key reason is its declining attractiveness. Take Czechia, where railway jobs were once considered prestigious but are now viewed as outdated. In contrast, Spain maintains high job attractiveness in this field due to strong collective agreements ensuring good pay and working conditions and consequently many young people want to become a locomotive engine driver. In general, outsourcing and the increased use of temporary work agencies—particularly for train drivers—have further deteriorated employment standards. Workers recruited this way are often excluded from collective agreements, resulting in reduced job security and social benefits, and are exposed to longer hours and lower pay. Here it becomes clear, all the more, how important the role of trade unions is and that collective bargaining can protect against social dumping and deteriorating working conditions.
In road transport, subcontracting practices have increased, which includes offshoring transport operations to countries with lower labour costs. This has led to a rise in undeclared work and bogus self-employment, with drivers misclassified as independent workers. This explains the persistent shortages in that subsector. Meanwhile, in ports—a sector marked by strong collective bargaining—working conditions are generally better, making it more attractive to workers.
Safety and working conditions are critical. Although the transport and storage sector employs 5.2% of EU-27 workers, it accounts for 9.2% of workplace accidents causing at least four days of incapacity. In 2021, 47% of workers in this sector reported that they thought their health and safety was at risk because of their work (while this percentage stood at 34% across all sectors of the economy in EURES countries). Working conditions matter and are not very appealing: shift work, “life on board”, long days away from home. In 2021, 30.4% of transport workers said their working hours conflicted with family or social life, versus just 5.2% in the broader economy. Transport workers are also more likely to work at night (27.5% vs. 11.6%) and in noisy environments (49.3% vs. 46.1%). Wages are another issue: 16.2% of transport workers reported difficulty making ends meet, compared to 13% across all sectors.
Increased competition and deregulation have worsened working conditions and the sector’s image. In air transport, for example, deregulation has intensified competition, leading to cost-cutting, wage suppression, and poor working conditions, exacerbating the shortage of senior pilots. Similar trends are seen in warehousing and support services. Aircraft engine and motor vehicle mechanics, air traffic controllers, and ground-handling staff all face critical shortages due to harsh working conditions, low pay, job insecurity, and limited career prospects.
ETF’s political demands to address labour shortage
To address labour shortages in transport and storage, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) makes several key demands: