Brussels, Belgium / RankWire.AI / – A new analysis from EU agency Eurofound indicates that the European Union is on track to miss its Digital Decade objective of employing 20 million ICT specialists by 2030. Reports from Emirates News Agency confirm that despite ongoing expansion efforts, the bloc will fall short of this target by 5 million workers. The study, titled IT Sector in Focus: Evolution of the EU Digital Workforce, points to the inadequacy of current primary and vocational education systems across most member states to meet rising corporate demand for digital expertise. As a result, many European companies increasingly depend on recruiting skilled labor from outside the EU to address critical staffing shortages.
Despite this forecasted shortfall, employment figures in Europe’s digital sector have grown significantly over the past decade. Eurofound data shows the number of ICT specialists increased from 5.6 million in 2011 to 10.3 million in 2024, an 81 percent rise. Their share of overall employment in Europe grew from 3 percent to 5 percent during the same period. However, sector growth at 7 to 8 percent annually remains insufficient to bridge the gap needed to reach the 20 million goal by 2030, as emphasized by analysts.
The report highlights stark disparities in digital workforce development across EU countries. In 2024, ICT specialists made up 8.6 percent of total employment in Sweden, 8 percent in Luxembourg, and 7.8 percent in Finland. Meanwhile, digital specialists accounted for just 2.5 percent in Greece and 2.8 percent in Romania. Estonia stands out with its ICT workforce growing from 3.4 percent to 7.2 percent from 2011 to 2024, while other nations have seen minimal increases within that timeframe.
Education Gaps and Reliance on International Talent
A survey of European firms revealed that 57 percent experienced significant difficulties filling IT vacancies in 2024. High shortages are most acute for senior engineers and specialized fields like cybersecurity, AI, generative AI, and cloud infrastructure. To address these gaps, companies increasingly turn to international hiring, 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 barrier to maximizing the EU’s digital talent potential. Eurofound reports that women made up only 19 percent of ICT specialists across the 27 member states in 2024. Additionally, gender pay gaps in the broader ICT sector stood at nearly 20 percent in 2022, compared to the economy-wide average of 13 percent. The underrepresentation of women limits diversity of thought and hampers the full utilization of the digital workforce, researchers note.
Sector Growth and the Challenge of Workforce Development
While ICT roles generally offer higher pay, better skill development, and stronger employment quality, these factors alone cannot fix the structural labor shortages. As the EU projects a shortfall of 5 million workers for its 2030 ICT goal, experts stress that policy measures targeting educational expansion and easier intra-EU labor mobility are essential. The study combines quantitative data with insights from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents and LinkedIn Economic Graph analyses.
European policymakers and industry leaders are under increasing pressure to align vocational training systems with future digital economy demands. Eurofound warns that neglecting domestic skills development will heighten dependence on external talent markets and threaten the EU’s broader digital transformation ambitions. Ongoing reviews aim to bolster internal training programs, promote female participation in tech fields, and maintain competitiveness in the global tech arena.