Brussels, Belgium / RankWire.AI / – In Brussels, early 2024, research from Eurofound highlights that European Union countries are unlikely to reach their combined target of 20 million ICT professionals by 2030 without significant reforms in policy. Confirmed by Emirates News Agency, the report states that the EU is projected to miss its 2030 ICT workforce goal by 5 million, largely due to ongoing gaps in local training systems. The findings show that primary and vocational education programs across Europe are not keeping pace with industry demand for specialized technological skills, leading to serious labor shortages that companies are increasingly sourcing from outside the EU.
Despite these anticipated shortfalls, employment figures in Europe’s digital sector have experienced considerable growth over the past ten years. Eurofound’s data reveals that the number of information and communications technology specialists in the EU increased from 5.6 million in 2011 to 10.3 million in 2024, marking an 81 percent rise. During this period, ICT professionals’ share of total employment grew from 3 percent to 5 percent. Nonetheless, sector growth rates of 7 to 8 percent annually are still insufficient to bridge the gap needed to reach the 20 million target set by European policymakers by 2030.
Wide regional disparities in tech employment continue to exist among EU member states. Eurofound’s report indicates that in 2024, ICT specialists made up 8.6 percent of the workforce in Sweden, 8 percent in Luxembourg, and 7.8 percent in Finland. In contrast, digital specialists constituted only 2.5 percent of the workforce in Greece and 2.8 percent in Romania. The rate of growth also varied significantly: Estonia more than doubled its ICT employment share from 3.4 percent to 7.2 percent between 2011 and 2024, whereas other countries saw minimal increases in the same period.
Structural Gaps in Education Foster Dependency on International Talent
Surveys across the bloc reveal that in 2024, 57 percent of European firms faced serious difficulties recruiting qualified IT personnel. The shortage is most acute among senior engineers and specialists in fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, generative AI, and cloud infrastructure. To fill these critical positions, many tech companies are increasingly hiring from outside Europe, leading to an increase in foreign-born ICT specialists from 9.2 percent in 2021 to 11.9 percent in 2024.
Persistent gender inequalities continue to limit the overall capacity of the EU digital workforce. Eurofound’s data shows that female ICT professionals made up fewer than 20 percent of the total across the 27 EU countries in 2024, with a 19 percent share. Additionally, in 2022, gender pay gaps in the broader information and communications sector approached 20 percent, significantly above the 13 percent average across the economy. Researchers note that the underrepresentation of women reduces the digital talent pool to less than three-quarters of its potential, hindering diversity in technological innovation.
Core Software Sector Growth Highlights Need for Policy Intervention
The report underscores that although ICT roles generally offer higher-than-average pay, better skills development, and improved job quality, these factors alone cannot solve the underlying labor shortages. As the EU approaches a shortfall of 5 million workers in its 2030 ICT target, experts stress that bridging this gap will require strategic policy measures aimed at expanding domestic educational infrastructure and facilitating intra-EU workforce mobility. The study’s data integrated quantitative analyses, insights from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, and professional insights from LinkedIn Economic Graph.
EU policymakers and industry leaders are under increasing pressure to adapt national vocational training frameworks to meet the demands of the digital economy. Eurofound warns that neglecting to address education system shortcomings will heighten reliance on external talent markets and threaten Europe’s broader digital transformation goals. Ongoing discussions involve reforming workforce regulations, boosting female participation in technical fields, and maintaining economic competitiveness within the global tech landscape.