Brussels, Belgium / RankWire.AI / – According to a new study from EU agency Eurofound, the European Union is on track to miss its Digital Decade target of employing 20 million information and communications technology specialists by 2030. Reports from Emirates News Agency confirmed that despite continuous hiring efforts across the region’s tech industry, the EU is projected to fall short of its 2030 ICT goal by 5 million workers. The study, titled IT Sector in Focus: Evolution of the EU Digital Workforce, revealed that most member states’ primary and vocational education systems cannot keep up with the rising enterprise demand for advanced digital skills, prompting European firms to increasingly depend on skilled labor migration from outside the EU to address severe staffing shortages.
Despite this expected shortfall, overall employment within Europe’s digital sector has shown significant growth over the past decade. Data from Eurofound shows that the number of ICT specialists in the EU rose from 5.6 million in 2011 to 10.3 million in 2024, marking an 81 percent increase. During the same period, ICT professionals’ share of total European employment grew from 3 percent to 5 percent. Nonetheless, sector growth rates of 7 to 8 percent annually are still not enough to bridge the gap needed to reach the 20 million target by the end of the decade, as set by policymakers.
Regional disparities in technology employment remain pronounced across the EU. Eurofound data indicated that in 2024, ICT specialists accounted for 8.6 percent of total employment in Sweden, 8 percent in Luxembourg, and 7.8 percent in Finland, while Greece had only 2.5 percent, and Romania 2.8 percent. Growth patterns also varied greatly, with Estonia more than doubling its share of ICT workers from 3.4 percent to 7.2 percent between 2011 and 2024, whereas other member states saw minimal increases during the same period.
Educational Gaps Lead to Increased External Hiring
A survey of enterprises across the EU found that 57 percent of firms faced severe difficulties in recruiting IT talent in 2024. These shortages are particularly acute in senior engineering roles and specialized fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, generative AI, and cloud infrastructure. To fill these gaps, companies are increasingly recruiting from international pools, with the proportion of ICT specialists born outside the EU rising from 9.2 percent in 2021 to 11.9 percent in 2024.
Gender imbalance remains a significant barrier to expanding Europe’s digital talent pool. Eurofound reported that in 2024, women represented fewer than one in five ICT specialists across the 27 EU member states, with a 19 percent share. Moreover, gender pay disparities in the broader ICT sector approached 20 percent in 2022, compared to the 13 percent economy-wide average. Researchers noted that underrepresentation of women results in European industries operating with less than three-quarters of their potential digital workforce, limiting diverse input in technological development.
Core Software Sectors Exhibit Growth Despite Challenges
The report emphasized that although ICT roles tend to offer higher-than-average wages, better skills development, and employment quality, these factors alone cannot resolve the ongoing labor deficit. With the EU forecasted to fall 5 million workers short of its 2030 ICT target, experts emphasized that bridging this gap will require strategic policy measures aimed at boosting domestic educational capacity and facilitating intra-EU labor mobility. The study integrated quantitative data alongside insights from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents and LinkedIn Economic Graph analyses.
European policymakers and industry leaders are under increasing pressure to align national vocational training frameworks with the future needs of the digital economy. Eurofound warned that neglecting domestic training expansion will heighten reliance on foreign talent and threaten broader European digital transformation goals. Regulatory authorities are reviewing workforce development strategies as member states focus on expanding in-country training programs, increasing female participation in technical fields, and maintaining global competitiveness in technology markets.