Fact sheet #15 – AI and soft skills: Evidence from EU job postings

Fact Sheet #15 – AI & Skills

As demand for AI skills grows across the EU-27, employers are also looking for skills beyond technical knowledge. Fact Sheet #15 examines around 34 million job postings from 2025 across all 27 EU Member States to identify the soft skills associated with AI-related roles.  

AI skills go hand in hand with soft skills. The analysis finds that teamwork, adaptability and problem-solving are the most common soft skills required in AI roles. Reliability and leadership also stand out as particularly AI-specific skills in the EU. 

Fact sheet #14 – AI skills demand in the EU

Fact Sheet #14 – AI & Skills

Demand for AI skills is growing across Europe. The share of AI-related job postings in the EU increased from 0.7% in 2022 to 1.7% in 2025. Around 3.7 million employees were estimated to have in-depth AI skills in 2025, more than double the 1.4 million estimated in 2022.

Demand differs across Member States. Luxembourg, Denmark and Sweden recorded the highest shares of AI-related job postings in 2025, while several Eastern European countries showed rapid growth. Understanding these trends will help align education and vocational training with employers’ AI skills needs and support wider AI adoption across Europe.

Fact sheet #13 – How the EU compares to the US and China

Fact Sheet #13– AI & Competitiveness

AI competitiveness is a key challenge for Europe. This analysis shows the EU lags behind the United States in AI model development, investment, and computing infrastructure.

Europe’s strengths include strong education systems and a solid base for AI talent. However, it struggles to turn innovation into scalable business outcomes.

Closing this gap requires faster AI adoption, stronger investment, and improved access to advanced infrastructure.

Fact sheet #12 – Miele

Fact Sheet #12– AI & Competitiveness

Miele uses AI to improve manufacturing processes. Key use cases include production data analysis, predictive maintenance, and generative AI for knowledge access and documentation.

Results show higher process stability with reduced scrap, lower waste and energy consumption, and more efficient maintenance through data-driven decisions.

Fact sheet #11 – Hays

Fact Sheet #11– AI & Workforce Planning

This case shows how Hays uses AI across recruitment, from job descriptions to CV analysis and interview preparation, with human review at each step.

Results show clear impact. Job description quality improves by 38 percent and rework drops by 40 percent. Adoption reaches 77 percent across employees and up to 98 percent for integrated tools.

Fact sheet #10 – Heuille et fils

Fact Sheet #10 – AI & Competitiveness

This fact sheet explores how Heuille et fils, a French SME specialised in industrial mechanics and metal machining, uses AI to improve operational management and productivity. Through MBS, an AI-supported management platform, the company shows how AI can assist with planning, analysing operational risks and supporting decision-making in industrial environments.

Fact sheet #9 – Federalberghi Lombardia

Fact Sheet #9 – AI & Workforce Planning

This business case explores how Federalberghi Lombardia sees artificial intelligence transforming the travel and hospitality sector. AI can support hotels in areas such as reputation management, demand forecasting, front-office services, and workforce training.

By analysing large volumes of data and supporting faster decision-making, AI enables more personalised guest experiences, improved operational efficiency, and better competitiveness – while keeping hospitality a human-centred industry.

Fact sheet #8 – Salling Group

Fact Sheet #8 – AI & Competitiveness

This business case highlights how Salling Group uses a centralised AI-driven pricing model to optimise markdowns for products nearing expiration.

By analysing historical sales data, the system recommends context-specific discounts that reduce food waste, improve pricing consistency, and strengthen bottom-line performance – while keeping human oversight central.

The gradual rollout, strong management support, and continuous employee feedback were key to building trust and impact across stores.

Fact sheet #1 – AI Regulation in the EU: Implications for the Workplace

Fact Sheet #1 – AI & Competitiveness

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping work across Europe – but it also introduces new compliance challenges. The fact sheet offers a clear overview of the EU AI Act and its implications for companies using AI in the workplace.

Fact sheet #2 – Elea iC

Fact Sheet #2 – AI & Competitiveness

This fact sheet explores how Elea iC, a leading Slovenian engineering firm, uses AI to enhance competitiveness in infrastructure design. Through Rouka, an AI-based decision support system for tunnel alignment, Elea iC demonstrates how AI improves design efficiency and cross-disciplinary collaboration.