Madrid, December 13 (EFE). – Spain continues to have a high proportion of workers with advanced degrees but in low-skilled jobs, particularly in key sectors such as science, technology, business and administration.
According to the Knowledge and Development Foundation (CYD) 2025 report, which has warned about this problem in recent years, there is a high proportion of university graduates, 47% of the workforce – a rate higher than the EU average – and a low supply of skilled employment, 36.4% – one of the lowest in Europe.
35% of employed university graduates work in jobs with lower qualifications than those acquired, compared to the European Union average of 21.4%. And women are particularly affected by this.
Spain has a lower share of high-skilled jobs than the EU average in virtually all sectors, with the exception of healthcare and education.
The greatest shortages are in the natural sciences, engineering and information and communication technology professions as well as in the areas of business and administration, which in a European comparison have the areas with the lowest proportion of employed university graduates.
In parallel, the vacancy rate, which measures the proportion of available but unfilled jobs out of the total number of jobs, has reached record highs in Spain and the EU, indicating a growing labor shortage.
Experts point out the need to implement various measures such as extending working lives, attracting foreign talent, promoting STEM professions – the most in-demand professions in the market -, strengthening active employment policies (e.g. training and advice) and improving working and salary conditions to make these positions more attractive.
In addition, the report advocates “easing the transition between vocational training and university through joint recognition of course achievements or a redesign of study curricula taking into account the students’ previous careers.” EFE
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