EU employment rate statistics between 2019 and 2021

Employment rate is actually an important indicator when studying developments within labor markets. This indicator helps to estimate the proportion of the working age population between the ages of 20 and 64 that is currently in employment, defined as having worked at least one hour in the reference week. This indicator is seasonally adjusted and it is measured in thousands of people. Employment rate by industry is broken down by agriculture, construction, industry including construction, manufacturing and services activities. The employment rate is usually affected by factors such as aggregate demand, global competition, education, automation, and demographics.

Poland and Romania recorded the largest increases in the employment rate between 2019 and 2021, with the share of employed people who usually or sometimes work from home increasing from 14.6 % to 24.4 % between 2019 and 2021.

Meanwhile, the EU employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 went up from 71.7 % to 73.1 % between 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, the employment rate of 16 out of 27 EU Member States had reached or exceeded their pre-pandemic level.