Employment Statistics in Science and Technology

In 2022, approximately 76 million individuals aged 15 to 74 across the European Union were employed in the fields of science and technology. This marks an increase of 2.5% compared to the previous year. Notably, women comprised 52% of this workforce, maintaining the same percentage as in 2021. The majority of women were employed in service-oriented roles, although Malta reported a unique trend, with only 48% of women in services.

Regional Insights on Women’s Employment

Examining employment by region (NUTS 1), Lithuania and Corsica stood out, exhibiting the highest proportions of women employed in science and technology at 64%. They were closely followed by Latvia, which had a rate of 63%. Conversely, the Italian region of North-West reported the lowest at 45%, with Malta and the South and North-East Italian regions each at 46%.

Trends Among Scientists and Engineers

A critical subset of the science and technology workforce is the group of scientists and engineers, which constituted nearly 24% of the total workforce in this sector within the EU—a growth of 3.6% since 2021. Germany led in the number of scientists and engineers, with over 3.5 million individuals in these roles.

Despite the overall majority of women in science and technology, their representation as scientists and engineers remains concerning, accounting for only 41% of this specialized group in 2022. This reflects a modest increase from 39% in 2012. However, the absolute number of female scientists and engineers saw significant growth, rising nearly 50% from roughly 5 million in 2012 to 7.3 million in 2022.

Interactive Visualization

For a detailed look at women’s employment in science and technology across EU regions, refer to the following interactive map:

Conclusion

The landscape of women in science and technology within the EU showcases both progress and areas where improvement is still needed. While there has been a notable increase in the overall number of women in these fields, their representation in key roles like scientists and engineers calls for continued focus to foster equality and participation.