Analysis of Tertiary Education and Employment Outcomes in Europe: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

Introduction: Education, Employment, and Sustainable Development

This report analyses 2024 data on unemployment rates across 33 European countries, with a specific focus on the relationship between tertiary education and employment outcomes. The findings are examined through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The data reveals that while higher education generally enhances employment prospects, significant disparities exist, with Turkey presenting a notable exception that challenges the achievement of these global goals.

General Unemployment Landscape and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Progress towards SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, varies significantly across Europe. In 2024, unemployment rates for the general population aged 15-74 ranged from 2.6% to 11.4%, with an EU average of 5.9%.

• Countries with Highest Unemployment Rates (Challenging SDG 8 Targets):
  1. Spain (11.4%)
  2. Greece (10.1%)
  3. Turkey (8.8%)
  4. Serbia (8.6%)
  5. Finland & Sweden (8.4%)
• Countries with Lowest Unemployment Rates (Closer to SDG 8 Targets):
  1. Czechia (2.6%)
  2. Poland (2.9%)
  3. Malta (3.1%)
  4. Germany (3.4%)
  5. Iceland (3.6%)

The Role of Tertiary Education in Advancing SDG 4 and SDG 8

Tertiary education is a cornerstone of SDG 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. Its effectiveness is often measured by its impact on employment, a key indicator for SDG 8. Across the EU, a university degree significantly improves employment outcomes, with the average unemployment rate for graduates at 3.8%.

Highest Unemployment Rates Among Tertiary Graduates (2024)

Despite the overall positive trend, several countries report high unemployment among their most educated citizens, indicating a potential disconnect between the education system and the labour market.

• Turkey (9.2%)
• Greece (7.3%)
• Spain (6.9%)
• Serbia (6.5%)
• France (5.0%)

Employment Disparities and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The gap between unemployment rates for the general population and university graduates is a critical measure of inequality in opportunity, a central concern of SDG 10. A higher ratio between the two rates indicates that a degree provides a greater protective advantage against unemployment.

• EU Average Ratio: 1.55 (General unemployment is 55% higher than for graduates).
• Highest Ratios (Greatest Educational Advantage): Romania (2.84), Slovakia (2.65), Bulgaria (2.63), and Hungary (2.50). In these nations, a university degree dramatically reduces the likelihood of being unemployed compared to the general population.
• Lowest Ratios (Smallest Educational Advantage): Cyprus (1.23), Switzerland (1.26), Germany (1.31), Denmark (1.32), and the Netherlands (1.32). In these countries, the employment gap between graduates and the general population is narrower.

Case Study: Turkey’s Misalignment with SDG 4 and SDG 8 Targets

Turkey presents a unique and concerning case, diverging from European norms and highlighting critical challenges in achieving SDG 4 and SDG 8. In 2024, it was the only country where the unemployment rate for tertiary graduates (9.2%) was higher than for the general population (8.8%), resulting in an employment ratio of 0.96. This anomaly has been recorded in 12 of the last 21 years, indicating a systemic issue.

Factors Contributing to the Anomaly

• Quantity-Focused Expansion: A government policy to establish a university in every province led to a rapid increase in institutions, from 53 public universities in 2003 to 204 total universities by 2024. This rapid expansion, without a corresponding focus on educational standards, directly undermines the “Quality Education” mandate of SDG 4.
• Erosion of Degree Value: According to the OECD, the supply of tertiary graduates has grown faster than the number of graduate-level jobs, leading to an “extreme” erosion of the employment benefits typically associated with a university degree.
• Skills Mismatch: A significant gap exists between the skills acquired in universities and those demanded by the labour market. The OECD points to Turkey’s relatively low share of graduates in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects as evidence of this misalignment, which impedes progress on SDG 4.4 (relevant skills for employment) and SDG 8.6 (reducing youth unemployment).

Policy Recommendations for SDG Alignment

The OECD suggests that for Turkey to align its educational and economic strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals, a policy shift is required.

1. Prioritise Quality in Tertiary Education: The primary focus must shift from increasing the number of universities to ensuring the quality of the education they provide. This is fundamental to achieving the core targets of SDG 4.
2. Enhance Labour Market Relevance: Educational curricula must be reformed to align with the needs of the modern economy. Fostering skills in high-demand fields is crucial for providing graduates with pathways to decent work, as envisioned in SDG 8.
3. Address Systemic Imbalances: Policies must address the structural issues causing a surplus of graduates for whom the labour market has insufficient demand, ensuring that educational attainment translates into productive employment and sustainable economic growth.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article extensively discusses tertiary education, its quality, and its relevance to the labor market. It highlights the “university boom” in Turkey and the subsequent concerns raised by the OECD about the declining quality of courses and the mismatch between skills acquired by students and those demanded by employers.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The core theme of the article is unemployment. It analyzes and compares unemployment rates across different European countries and between different educational groups (general population vs. university graduates). This directly relates to the goal of achieving full and productive employment for all.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article focuses on the disparity in employment outcomes between people with tertiary education and the general population. It analyzes the “unemployment gap” and the ratio of unemployment rates, which are measures of inequality in the labor market based on educational attainment. The unique case of Turkey, where graduates face higher unemployment, highlights a significant inequality.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
  • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article discusses the rapid expansion of universities in Turkey, which relates to access (“a government policy to establish a university in every province”). However, it also critically points out that this expansion has made it “difficult to uphold the quality of tertiary courses.”
  • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The OECD’s statement about a “large gap between the skills demanded by the labour market and the skills acquired by students in universities in Turkey” directly addresses this target. The mention of a “low share of graduates in STEM” further emphasizes the need for more relevant skills.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The entire article is a detailed analysis of employment and unemployment rates across 33 European countries for the population aged 15-74, which is central to this target.
  • Target 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The discussion about high unemployment among university graduates, particularly in Turkey, is directly relevant to the challenge of youth employment and their transition from education to the workforce.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The article highlights the economic exclusion (unemployment) of a specific group—university graduates in Turkey—based on their educational attainment, which is contrary to the principle of inclusion. The analysis of the “unemployment gap” across Europe measures this form of inequality.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 8.5 (Full and productive employment):
  • Unemployment Rate: The article provides explicit data on the “unemployment rate for people aged 15–74” and the “unemployment rates among university graduates” for 33 European countries. This is a direct indicator.
• For Target 4.3 (Access to quality tertiary education):
  • Share of Tertiary Graduates: The article mentions that in Turkey, “20.6% of the population aged 25–74 held a university degree,” which serves as an indicator of educational attainment and access.
  • Rate of University Students: The article states that Turkey “had the highest rate of university students relative to its population, with 95 students per 1,000 people,” indicating the level of participation in tertiary education.
• For Target 4.4 (Relevant skills for employment):
  • Unemployment Rate of Graduates: The high unemployment rate among graduates in Turkey (9.2%) is used as an indirect indicator of a mismatch between the skills provided by the education system and the skills demanded by the labor market.
  • Share of Graduates in Specific Fields: The article points to Turkey’s “relative low share of graduates in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects” as an indicator of the type of skills being produced by the education system.
• For Target 10.2 (Promote inclusion and reduce inequality):
  • Unemployment Gap: The article explicitly calculates and discusses the “unemployment gap” as the percentage point difference between the unemployment rate of the general population and that of university graduates (e.g., “The largest gap was recorded in Spain by 4.5 pp”).
  • Ratio of Unemployment Rates: The article proposes and uses the “ratio between the unemployment rate of the general population and that of university graduates” as a standardized measure to compare inequality across countries (e.g., “Turkey is the only country with a ratio below 1, at 0.96, while the EU average stands at 1.55”).

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: euronews.com