Labour market for researchers faces changes

According to an annual report on EU R&D, the labour market for researchers is deeply changing as knowledge-intensive services solicite Europe’s best brains.

The Commission adopted its annual report on research and technological development (RTD) activities of the EU in 2004 on 24 October 2005. It is the latest of annual reports describing the evolution of EU R&D activities since 1998. One of the issues explored is ‘trends in training and employment of researchers’.

Reaching the Barcelona target of increasing the R&D spending to 3% of GDP by 2010 is not simply an expenditure target. It implies a significant increase in numbers of researchers in Europe (an extra 1.2 million researchers), their training and creation of attractive research career opportunities. 

According to the report, 60% of science and engineering graduates should enter a research career, if the EU was to meet its Barcelona and Lisbon targets. However, survey figures reveal that only 40% of PhD graduates working in the UK, for example, are performing research activities. 

“Knowledge-intensive services, including sectors of activity such as education, health and social work, now employ most of these highly qualified people,” states the report, indicating profound changes in the labour market for researchers. PhD graduates are also said to be solicited, for example, by transnational firms and start-ups. 

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