OECD 2026: the end of the degree? not quite.

The new OECD research doesn’t apply the same way to every professional

In July, the OECD published a series of studies that reassess how professionals are evaluated in today’s labour market — specifically, how much weight a formal degree still carries relative to demonstrated skills. Summarising the new study’s findings, it comes down to something simple: the wage premium for university graduates has stopped growing, and in some markets has started to fall.

But a generalisation like this becomes problematic: it doesn’t hold the same way everywhere (geographically), nor for every professional. The OECD’s own research is clear on this: the trend is specifically observed in economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where technological change has significantly increased the substitutability between university graduates and workers with secondary education. It is not a global phenomenon, and it certainly doesn’t transfer automatically to the Greek labour market, which operates with a different structure, different institutions, and different employer expectations.

What the data shows for Greece

The picture the OECD paints specifically for Greece is different — and in several respects, more interesting for those investing in their professional development. The skills shortage in the country remains high and is rising, even as unemployment falls, while adult participation in training programmes remains consistently below the OECD average. In other words: demand for up-to-date, certified skills in the Greek market outstrips supply. This isn’t a problem for anyone looking to stand out — it’s an opportunity, precisely because few people invest in it systematically.

At the same time, the OECD’s own research shows something that’s often left out by those interpreting it: the likelihood of employment remains positively linked to both years of education and, independently, to the practical ability to work with numbers and data, and to problem-solving skills. This isn’t a substitution relationship — “skills instead of a degree” — but one of synergy and mutual reinforcement: education and skills work together, strengthening each other.

Why differentiating by profile matters

This means career advice can’t be applied the same way across the board. An executive at a multinational, competing for international roles and evaluated against standards imported from Anglo-Saxon parent companies, does have good reason to place more weight on documenting impact beyond the degree title — not because the degree lost its value, but because it’s no longer enough on its own to negotiate a raise or a promotion.

A mid-level executive at a Greek company, by contrast, benefits more from investing in certified upskilling, precisely because the domestic market suffers from a skills shortage and low participation in training programmes — making the differentiation here more clearly visible.

New graduates, finally, face a distinct challenge: the employment advantage of young university graduates has been shrinking steadily for years across several OECD countries, regardless of geography. For this group, the degree remains necessary, but it needs accompanying, tangible proof of capability — hands-on experience, a project, a portfolio.

What this means in practice

The point isn’t that “degrees are losing value” — it’s that their value now depends on context: industry, country, career stage. The right professional strategy in 2026 isn’t to abandon formal qualifications, but to learn to combine them intelligently with demonstrated, up-to-date skills — tailored to one’s own specific profile, not to a general, “imported” narrative.

Source: OECD, Employment Outlook 2026; OECD, Greece: Foundations for Growth and Competitiveness 2026.