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Home›Pulp and Papermaking Plant Operators: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Pulp and Papermaking Plant Operators: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)

Pulp and Papermaking Plant Operators is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 8171) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.

  • Calender operator (pulp and paper)
  • Pulp and paper grinder operator
  • Repulper operator
  • Sheeter operator (pulp and paper)
6European countries report a shortage (EURES 2025)
2countries report a surplus
31open job ads right now in Germany and Sweden
8171ISCO-08 occupation code
Short answerIn the 2025 EURES report on labour shortages, 6 European countries reported a shortage of pulp and papermaking plant operators: Czechia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania. 2 reported a surplus: Austria and Latvia.

Latest pulp and papermaking plant operators job ads

Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).

Germany

25 open ads

Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany

Sweden

6 open ads

Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden

Where pulp and papermaking plant operators are needed in Europe

CountryEURES 2025Average gross pay, all plant and machine operators and assemblers (2022)1-bed rent in the capital
CzechiaShortage€1,285 a monthPrague: €1,250
GreeceShortage€1,416 a month *Athens: €1,150
ItalyShortage€2,300 a month *Rome: €1,300
LithuaniaShortageNot yet verifiedVilnius: €830
PortugalShortage€1,087 a month *Lisbon: €1,400
RomaniaShortage€924 a month *Not yet verified
AustriaSurplus€3,040 a month *Vienna: €1,250
LatviaSurplus€1,221 a monthRiga: €870

Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all plant and machine operators and assemblers in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for pulp and papermaking plant operators alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.

What pulp and papermaking plant operators do

Pulp and papermaking plant operators operate and monitor equipment to process wood, pulp and other cellulose materials in the production of pulp and to produce coat and finish paper.

Typical tasks

  • Operating and monitoring screening and bleaching equipment, digesters, mixing tanks, washers and other pulp processing machinery and equipment to carry out one or more cellulose processing steps
  • Operating and monitoring papermaking and finishing process machinery and equipment to dry, calender, laminate, coat, slit, trim, wind or carry out other papermaking and finishing process steps
  • Controlling start-up and shut-down of machinery and equipment, and observing equipment and machinery panel indicators, gauges, and other equipment to detect machinery and equipment malfunctions and ensure process steps are carried out according to specifications
  • Communicating with process control operators to make process adjustments and start up or shut down machinery and equipment as required
  • Analysing instrument readings and production test samples and making adjustments to production process and equipment as required
  • Mounting, positioning and threading paper rolls using a hoist
  • Inspecting paper visually for wrinkles, holes, discoloration, streaks or other defects and taking corrective action
  • Completing and maintaining production reports

Finding pulp and papermaking plant operators jobs in Europe

Search all EU vacancies on EURES Check if your job is regulated
  • EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Repulper operator".
  • Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
  • If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.

Cost of living where the jobs are

Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:

PragueAthensRomeVilniusLisbon

About this data

  • Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
  • Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
  • Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group.
  • Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.

See all jobs in demand in Europe · Methodology