The EU employment charge reached its highest stage on document within the fourth quarter of 2024, in keeping with new knowledge from the OECD.
Eight EU member states additionally recorded all-time highs throughout this era, relationship again to when the OECD first started publishing knowledge in 2005.
On the flip facet, the unemployment charge fell to its lowest stage in February 2025 since 2000, exhibiting that fewer folks within the EU are with out a job.
That is additionally in keeping with the newest labour statistics from the OECD, which run as much as February for the unemployment indicator.
The EU employment charge stood at 70.9% within the ultimate three months of 2024. Among the many 24 EU member states included within the dataset, employment charges ranged from 62.2% in Italy to 82.3% within the Netherlands.
When together with chosen EU candidate nations, together with EFTA members and the UK, Iceland recorded the best employment charge at 85.6%, whereas Turkey had the bottom at 55.2%.
Amongst Europe’s 5 largest economies, Germany recorded the best employment charge at 77.6%, adopted by the UK at 75%.
France’s employment charge within the ultimate quarter of 2024 stood at 68.9%, falling beneath each the EU and OECD averages. Spain (66.3%) and Italy (62.2%) have been among the many 4 lowest within the dataset, alongside Greece and Turkey.
EU and eight members hit the document in employment
Eight EU member states and candidate nation Turkey all recorded their highest employment charges within the ultimate quarter of 2024 — and the EU common additionally noticed a document peak. The charges have a look at people aged 15–64 and are seasonally adjusted.
Report breaking nations embody Germany, Czechia, Portugal, Slovakia, Belgium, Spain, Greece and Turkey — despite the fact that some noticed solely marginal will increase.
The Netherlands holds the EU’s solely charge above 80%
Among the many 24 EU member states listed (excluding Cyprus, Malta, and Romania), the Netherlands is the one one to have recorded an employment charge exceeding 80% since 2005. Iceland and Switzerland additionally surpassed the 80% mark throughout this era.
Nonetheless, if the 20–64 age group is taken into account — as utilized by Eurostat — extra nations might exceed the 80% threshold.
The biggest year-on-year will increase in employment charges have been noticed in Iceland (up 1.6 proportion factors) and Greece (up 1.5 proportion factors). The OECD attributed these features to rising labour power participation.
EU unemployment charge falls to its lowest stage in February 2025
Based on the OECD, the EU unemployment charge fell to five.7% in February 2025 — its lowest stage since January 2000. The information covers people aged 15–64 and is seasonally adjusted.
Among the many 24 EU member states, unemployment charges ranged from 2.6% in Poland to 10.4% in Spain — the one nation to exceed the ten% mark.
Two Nordic nations report excessive unemployment charges
Amongst all nations within the dataset, Finland (9.2%) and Sweden (8.9%) had the best unemployment charges after Spain, which topped the checklist.
Germany (3.5%) recorded the fourth-lowest unemployment charge total, making it the perfect performer amongst Europe’s 5 largest economies, adopted by the UK at 4.4% (primarily based on January 2025 knowledge).
Alongside Spain, France (7.4%) and Italy (5.9%) additionally recorded unemployment charges above the EU common.