Persistent shortages of MINT professionals despite the economic crisis
MINT-Report 2026
Persistent shortages of MINT professionals despite the economic crisis
Demographic trends threaten a major shortfall in the coming years
The MINT skills gap stood at around 133,900 people in March 2026. The shortage of MINT professionals poses a significant risk to Germany’s prosperity and competitiveness. It can only be contained through a major, coordinated effort by all stakeholders across society. What is required is a bundle of strategic measures along the entire education and skills pipeline, enabling all available potential to be tapped – for example among women, older workers and immigrants.
Berlin, 5 May 2026. Despite the economic crisis, shortages of skilled labour persist in MINT occupations. At present, 133,900 MINT vacancies cannot be filled on a statistical basis. This is one of the key findings of the MINT Report published today. MINT skilled worker occupations requiring vocational training account for the largest bottleneck, with around 77,400 people in March 2026. They are followed by approximately 44,200 people in so-called MINT expert occupations (graduates) and around 12,300 people in specialist occupations, including master craftspeople and technicians. The most severe shortages are found in energy and electrical occupations (around 48,900), metalworking occupations (26,500), construction occupations (26,400) and machinery and vehicle engineering occupations (22,900).
Shortages set to intensify further due to demographic change demographic trends mean that around 138,600 fewer MINT professionals will be available on the labour market in 2034
“Even in the current economically challenging phases, overall employment in MINT occupations remains stable,” says Professor Dr Axel Plünnecke, Head of the Education, Innovation and Migration Cluster at the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne. “All the more alarming is the fact that, in our baseline scenario, demographic change will result in around 138,600 fewer MINT professionals being available on the labour market by 2034. While MINT employment increased by 12.4 per cent between 2014 and 2024, employment is likely to fall by 1.8 per cent in the following decade due to skills shortages.” The MINT Report shows that it is crucial in the coming years to unlock all MINT potential. If more women can be attracted to MINT, older workers retained in the labour market for longer, and existing immigration into MINT occupations further increased, employment in MINT occupations could rise by 263,000 by 2034 in an optimal scenario – an increase of 3.3 per cent. “Even this would still significantly constrain future growth prospects for the economy, but at least it would not bring them to a complete standstill,” Plünnecke adds.
Necessary measures for the medium term
The future supply of MINT professionals will be decisive in determining whether MINT employment can continue to grow. In the medium term – over a ten-year period – the additional potential of women, older workers and immigrants identified in the optimal scenario will be critical. To unlock women’s MINT potential, the MINT competencies of young women that already exist throughout the education system must be better recognised and made more visible. In addition, mentoring programmes and the strengthening of stereotype-free careers and study guidance are required. To harness the potential of older workers, more needs-based continuing training opportunities and incentives for later retirement are necessary. Faster bureaucratic procedures for immigration and a sustainable expansion of support measures for international students and trainees can help attract more qualified immigrants.
Securing MINT skills: a task for society as a whole
The shortage of MINT professionals poses a major risk to prosperity and competitiveness. It can only be mitigated through a massive, coordinated effort by all actors across society. What is needed is a package of strategic measures along the entire education pathway:
◼ Consistently safeguard the MINT foundations: In early childhood education and schools, including all-day provision, basic skills – particularly language skills as a foundation – must be ensured and expanded. The impact of education policy measures can only be assessed on the basis of reliable data and binding targets. When allocating funding, the social index should be taken into account in order to strengthen equal opportunities.
◼ Drive forward digitalisation: Digitalisation in schools must be expanded. Schools require practical and relieving IT support, modern equipment and reliable cooperation with extracurricular MINT programmes. Artificial intelligence, as a key future skill, must be integrated across subjects into teaching.
◼ Strengthen the focus on MINT teaching: Mathematical, scientific and technical priorities in schools must be given particular support. Teaching concepts should be further developed to strengthen interest in and motivation for MINT subjects. Digitalisation and AI-supported learning can make a valuable contribution here.
◼ Tackle the shortage of teachers: To ensure modern and practice-oriented MINT education, more teachers must be recruited and retained. Initial and continuing teacher training must focus more strongly on practical application and include digitalisation and AI as mandatory components of contemporary education. In addition, multiprofessional teams should be expanded in order to provide targeted support to teachers, for example in implementing digital concepts.
View the study: click here (only available in German).
About the MINT Report
The MINT Report is published twice a year by the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne. The study is produced on behalf of the following members of the National MINT Forum: the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), Gesamtmetall – the Employers’ Association of the Metal and Electrical Industry – and the National Initiative “MINT Zukunft schaffen!”.
