Despite current difficulties facing the German economy, critical shortages persist in MINT professions, according to a new study. In March, approximately 133,900 specialists were missing in the fields of mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, and technology, as reported by the national MINT Forum on Tuesday in Berlin. According to the findings, securing future prosperity and competitiveness depends crucially on tapping into the potential of women, older workers, and immigrants.
The study identifies a particularly troubling trend: skill shortages are expected to intensify in the coming years. "Due to demographic factors, around 138,600 MINT workers will no longer be available in the labor market in 2034," the Forum explained.
"While MINT employment rose by 12.4 percent from 2014 to 2024, in the following decade employment is likely to decline by 1.8 percent due to the skills shortage," stated Axel Plünnecke from the Institute of the German Economy Cologne (IW), which produces the MINT Report twice yearly.
For the coming years, maximizing all available potential is critical. "If we succeed in attracting more women to MINT, keeping older workers in the labor market longer, and further increasing the already existing immigration in MINT professions, in an optimal scenario employment in MINT professions could rise by 263,000 by 2034," the Forum elaborated.
"Even this would still severely hamper the future growth prospects of the economy, but at least not completely stall them," explained IW researcher Plünnecke.
The skills shortage in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, and technology poses an "enormous risk to prosperity and competitiveness," the MINT Forum emphasized. Therefore, measures are needed to strengthen interest in these subjects in schools, where artificial intelligence (AI) support could make a "valuable contribution." Additionally, "more teachers must be recruited and retained."
To tap into the potential of women, "the existing MINT competencies of young women throughout the education system must be better valued and made visible." For the potential of older workers, more needs-based continuing education opportunities and incentives for later retirement are required. Furthermore, "faster bureaucratic processes for immigration and a sustainable expansion of measures to support international students and trainees" could help "attract more qualified immigrants."
The MINT Report is prepared by the IW on behalf of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), the Gesamtmetall employer association, and the National Initiative "MINT Zukunft schaffen!" Compared to March 2025 (a calculated shortage of 158,800 specialists), the MINT gap narrowed by 15.7 percent according to the current survey.
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