BRUSSELS — Across Europe, a looming skills crisis threatens economic growth, with three-quarters of small and medium-sized enterprises reporting difficulty hiring workers with the right skills. Aging populations, shrinking workforces and the digital and green transitions are all likely to intensify hiring challenges. Alongside this, the skills crisis is threatening Europe’s ability to make good on policy priorities such as remedying acute housing shortages, building a sufficient care workforce, keeping up with digital innovation and meeting carbon emissions reduction targets.