With theaters closed and work prospects dim, Czech actor Tomas Novotny put his stage career on hold and trained to become a gravedigger.

The coronavirus reshaping Europe's labor markets has spurred workers like Novotny to seek new career paths as old jobs disappear or remain beset with uncertainty about any return to normal.

Not all changes are as dramatic as that of the 36-year-old actor, but his is an early illustration of a shift that will require people to take on new skills to compete.