First estimate for the fourth quarter of 2007
Euro area and EU27 employment up by 0.2%
+1.7% and +1.5% respectively compared to the fourth quarter of 2006
The seasonally adjusted number of persons employed in the euro area1 (EA13) rose by 0.2% (270 000 persons) during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to provisional national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. During the same period, the number of persons employed in the EU271 also grew by 0.2% (484 000 persons). In the third quarter of 2007, growth rates were +0.3% in both zones.
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment grew by 1.7% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU27 in the fourth quarter of 2007, after +1.8% and +1.6% respectively in the third quarter of 2007.
Over the whole year 2007, employment increased by 1.7% (2 446 000 persons) in the euro area and by 1.6% (3 509 000 persons) in the EU27, compared to +1.5% in both zones in 2006.
Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2007, 224.2 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 144.3 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted.
These quarterly data on employment provide a picture of labour input consistent with the output and income
measures of national accounts.
Methodological information:
Estimates of employment in the European quarterly national accounts are compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95). National accounts measure employment alongside other variables such as GDP, output, compensation
of employees, etc. ESA95 (chapter 11) defines employment in line with International Labour Organisation criteria.
Employment covers employees and self-employed working in resident production units (i.e. the domestic employment concept).
Unless otherwise stated, all employment estimates in this release use persons as the measurement unit. ESA95 acknowledges other possible measures for employment: jobs, full-time equivalents and total hours worked.
The methodology used by Eurostat for this release is the same as for the European quarterly national accounts (for details see Eurostat press release 77/2006 of 14 June 2006, annex I). Estimates of employment in national accounts may differ from results of other statistics and surveys, in particular the labour force survey. For further details see press release 77/2006 of 14 June 2006, annex II. The estimate of 2007 Q4 employment growth presented in this release is based on Member States’ data, as
available. For this quarter it covers 65% of employment in the euro area and 71% in the EU27.
More data on European quarterly national accounts are available on Eurostat’s website („Data“ / „Economy and finance“ /“National Accounts“). Additional general information on European national accounts is also available in the metadata files linked to the tables.
Release policy:
Eurostat publishes a first quarterly estimate of employment in national accounts 75 days after the end of the reference period (‘t+75 days’). There is a second estimate after t+100 days, published together with the second regular GDP release (scheduled for 9 April 2008). There is no specific employment News Release at t+100 days. As compared to the first employment estimate, the second one is based on more information and includes breakdowns by economic activity (6 NACE categories).
Euro area and EU employment figures for earlier quarters are revised in both first and second employment estimates.
0,003
0,001
