Italy warns of economic strain from surplus of graduates and shrinking manual workforce

Italian commentary links the surge in university graduates and master’s degrees to a shrinking pool of manual workers, creating a numeric imbalance that the author says threatens the country's economic stability. The analysis claims the worker‑to‑professional ratio has fallen to about 1.8 : 1, prompting higher immigration to fill labor gaps and a brain‑drain of excess graduates. It argues that this disparity fuels rising public debt, social tension and even risks of civil unrest. The piece extends the argument globally, naming the United States, China, Russia and Japan as also experiencing economic stress from similar demographic shifts.

The author calls for a gradual adjustment of educational output to restore a sustainable balance between productive labour and intellectual classes, suggesting that unchecked expansion of higher education could destabilise societies worldwide.