MADRID – If you are overqualified, your level of education or experience is higher than what is required for your job. One in three workers in Spain is affected by this. They work in jobs that do not reach their full potential.
Over-qualification affects many workers in Europe. According to recent data from Eurostat, the over-qualification rate in the European Union for national workers aged 20 to 64 in 2021 was 20.8%. However, the differences between the countries are large. Spain tops the list with a percentage of no less than 34.5%, followed closely by Greece with 32.1% and Cyprus with 29.5%.
At the other end of the list is Luxembourg with only 4.8% overqualified workers. In general, however, most EU countries have an over-qualification rate of more than 10%.
Who suffers most from over-qualification?
Moreover, in Europe, foreign workers appear to be even more overqualified than national workers. According to Eurostat data, foreign workers in Europe have a higher rate of over-qualification than nationals in the vast majority of EU countries.
In Spain, the over-qualification rate of foreign workers is even higher than that of nationals, with 46.2% for citizens of another EU country and 57.0% for citizens from outside the EU.
The Czech Republic stands out as it is the only country where foreign workers from within the European Union have a lower over-qualification rate than that of Czech nationals themselves.
Read also: January ends with fewer workers and more unemployed in Spain
