STEM Workforce Report: Germany Has a Shortage of over 163,600 STEM Workers

The current STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Workforce Report shows that many STEM jobs in Germany cannot currently be filled, as there is a shortage of 163,600 STEM workers. With around 89,600 people, the STEM skilled worker occupations (vocational training) form the largest bottleneck group in April 2025, followed by around 56,600 people in the STEM expert occupations segment (academics) and around 17,400 in the specialist, master craftsman and technician occupations.

The biggest shortages are in energy/electrical occupations (around 57,800), mechanical and automotive engineering (around 32,400), construction occupations (around 26,100), metalworking (around 24,200) and IT (around 11,200). There is a total shortfall of 11,900 people in the other STEM fields. Demographic change and falling numbers of graduates are further exacerbating the shortage of skilled workers.

In order to increase research expenditure to the targeted 3.5 percent, around 50,000 additional STEM specialists are needed. To implement the planned measures in the area of defense, the need will increase to a further 30,000 to 50,000 STEM specialists. Additional STEM professionals are also needed for climate protection and infrastructure investments.

Employment of women in STEM professions

The proportion of women in STEM professions subject to social insurance contributions rose from 13.8 percent to 16.4 percent between 2012 and 2024. The employment of female STEM academic graduates has risen by 58.1 percent, which is faster than the overall average (33.8 percent). In contrast, the trend for female STEM skilled workers has stagnated.

STEM workers with a migration background

The employment of STEM workers with migration experience has developed very positively. The proportion of STEM academics with migration experience rose from 14.3 percent (2011) to 20.6 percent (2021). The proportion of STEM specialists with migration experience grew from 11.9 percent to 15 percent in the same period - the increase is thus higher than for other specialists. Without the strong influx of foreign skilled workers, the STEM skills gap would be 474,700 people higher. Immigration from third countries (e.g. India, Turkey, Russia, China) into academic STEM professions was particularly high.

Position and commitment of the vbw

In order to master the challenges of the present and future, measures must be taken to sustainably close the STEM gap. In our view, this requires investment in high-quality STEM education in particular. Childcare places must be expanded so that women have the opportunity to participate fully in working life. It is also necessary to accelerate and simplify the immigration of skilled workers.

The promotion of STEM education in schools and extracurricular facilities has been an important part of our education policy agenda for years. With our pilot projects, we are making concrete contributions to securing skilled workers in the STEM sector. Our programs for girls in particular, such as the Girls' Day academies, support young women in developing and expanding their STEM skills. Other projects to promote STEM education include MINT21 , MINT-EC and Technik Zukunft in Bayern .