EU Educational Sector: 80% of graduates in the field of education are women

Almost 5 million tertiary education students graduated in the European Union (EU) in 2015: 58% were women and 42% men.

Male dominated fields are 'Information and Communication Technologies' (where men account for 81% of the graduates) and 'Engineering, manufacturing and construction' (73%).

On the other hand, four out of five graduates in 'Education' are women (80%). Another field where women are largely over-represented is 'Health and welfare', with 74% female graduates.

One in four graduates studied 'Business, administration and law'

The largest share of graduates in the EU studied 'Business, administration and law' (24%). This was the most popular field in all Member States except for Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, where the largest share of graduates were in 'Health and welfare', and Portugal, where the most popular field was 'Engineering, manufacturing and construction'.

'Business, administration and law' was particularly popular in Luxembourg, with 39% of all graduates. It accounted for a large share also in Cyprus (35%), Bulgaria and France (both 34%).

One in five graduates in Germany (22%), Portugal (21%) and Austria (20%) received their diplomas in 'Engineering, manufacturing and construction'.

The share of graduates in 'Health and welfare' was the highest in Belgium (26%), where one in four graduated in this field. 22% of graduates in Sweden and Denmark studied this subject.

'Arts and humanities' were a popular field in the United Kingdom and Italy (both 16%).

16% of the graduates in Bulgaria followed the 'Social sciences, journalism and information' programme.

The largest share of 'Education' graduates was in Cyprus (18%).

With 13%, the United Kingdom had the highest share of 'Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics' graduates.

Read more: 80% of graduates in the field of education are women - Product - Eurostat

The Netherlands - employment opportunities: Lack of qualified staff holding back Dutch companies

A  shortage of qualified staff is holding Dutch companies back as the economy recovers from the recession, according to new figures from the government statistics service. Statistics Netherlands said 7 per cent of businesses reported problems with understaffing because of a lack of suitable and experienced candidates. 

The figure is at its highest level since 2009. The problem was most acute in the IT sector, where one in six firms said there was a lack of qualified staff. In the service sector the proportion was one in 10. Overall businesses feel there are fewer obstacles to growth than in recent years, according to the survey, which recorded fewer complaints about financial restrictions or weak demand.

The number of businesses planning to take on more staff is at it highest level for years, with 8 per cent planning to add to their team in the second quarter of this year. The figure for the third quarter was 6 per cent. The total number of vacancies reported at the start of July was 155,000.

Read more: Lack of qualified staff holding back Dutch companies - DutchNews.nl

USA: Income Inequality Is The Biggest Story For The U.S. Economy - by Nathaniel Parish Flannery

During Memorial Day weekend at a biker rally in Washington DC Donald Trump spoke to a group of supporters. “We’re going to give the right for those people to see a private doctor or even a public doctor and get themselves taken care of and we’re going to pay the bill,” he said. The message was tailored for the audience of veterans, but it touches on a common theme. Over the last few months I’ve seen my Twitter feed flooded with news stories about the increasing divide between people succeeding in the globalized economy and people who are just struggling to get by.

A lot of this stuff is old news. A study looking at pay packages in 2014 by the consultancy Payscale Human Capital found that CVS CEO Larry Merlo earned 422 times the average wage paid to the company’s employees. Merlo took home more a compensation package worth more than $12 million while the average employee earned $28,000. Goodyear, Walt Disney, and Honeywell also topped Payscale’s list for most egregious gaps between CEO and worker pay. In past years, however, the wealth gap has seemed like a niche topic in the news cycle. In the 2016 election season it feels like income inequality has become the dominant issue. Over the last few weeks I’ve seen a number of fascinating stories.

On May 3 I tweeted this Washington Post wonkblog article on the ongoing struggles of young people in the US. In the article reporter Max Ehrenfreund explains that despite being better educated than the previous generation that started their careers in New York City in 2000, the current group of young people in the city is earning less, despite being better education. Ehenfeund explains, “For most young adults in the city, though, incomes have declined. A typical 25-year-old made $43,000 in New York in 2000, adjusting for inflation. In 2014, a 25-year-old in the city could expect to make about $37,000.”

The percentage of young people working in low wage industries such as retail and hospitality increased from 23% to 33%. As of 2014 an astounding 45% of all 18 to 29-year-olds in New York City lived with their parents. “Wherever they live, young people are having a hard time getting a start on life in the modern American economy,” Ehrenfreund explains. 

Read the complete report: Media Roundup: Income Inequality Is The Biggest Story For The U.S. Economy - Forbes