Italy ranks last in Europe for employment in the STEM sector

2026-07-19

Italy is recording a worrying figure in the European labor market: the country ranks last in the European Union regarding employment in the STEM sector, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to recent data, only 5% of Italian workers are employed in these technical and scientific fields.

This gap compared to the rest of Europe highlights a structural difficulty in training and placing qualified professionals in sectors considered strategic for the modern economy. The shortage of technical skills represents a significant obstacle to the competitiveness of Italian companies, which struggle to find specialized personnel to face the digital and ecological transition.

The problem does not only concern the hiring phase but is rooted in the education system. Many young Italians choose humanities study paths, neglecting scientific disciplines that today offer greater career opportunities and higher salaries. The lack of solid technical preparation makes the country less attractive for international technological investments.

Institutions and businesses are now called upon to collaborate to bridge this gap. It is necessary to promote STEM subjects more extensively starting from primary school and to incentivize continuous training for workers already employed, in order to align Italian skills with European standards and ensure more solid economic growth for the future.