The importance of high-skill jobs for European regions

By Glenda Quintini. In 2011 about 10% of overall employment in the European Union (EU-27) was in high-skill jobs, defined as all jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) occupations plus all non-STEM jobs in high-tech sectors. This share has been rising steadily over the last decade, as the employment growth in these high-skill jobs strongly outpaced overall employment growth. While total employment grew by 8% in the period 2000-2011, high-skill employment grew by almost 20% during the same period. As such, high-skill job creation has contributed significantly to overall job creation in the European economy. More...