Labor markets face rising workloads and critical staffing shortages

Global and regional labor markets are facing significant structural challenges, characterized by increasing workloads for existing staff and critical shortages in specific sectors.

A Korn Ferry report, ‘Workforce 2026’, based on a survey of 16,000 professionals across 11 markets, highlights a trend of ‘dual-role working.’ Approximately 61% of employees report performing duties corresponding to more than one role, often due to corporate restructuring and the integration of AI. This has led to 62% of respondents seeing a significant increase in workload over two years, with 55% of managers reporting burnout.

In the transportation sector, a study by the European Road Rest Register (ERRU) across 18 markets identifies a massive shortage of truck drivers, with 2.9 million vacancies globally. In Europe, roughly 500,000 positions are unfilled, a figure expected to worsen as 660,000 drivers approach retirement by 2030. In Greece, urban transport provider OSY reports a need for 400 additional drivers to maintain schedules, while the aviation sector also faces structural staffing issues.