The changing structure of employment in the EU: Annual review 2023
Published: 28 March 2024
Employment levels in the EU27 recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 much faster than they did after the global financial crisis in 2008–2010. This was despite the immediate job loss effects of the two crises being of comparable scale. Demographic change is affecting labour supply, as the EU’s working age population has been contracting since 2010. This paper summarises structural developments in European labour markets over a period spanning the two crises and the subsequent recoveries (2008–2023). It relies mainly on EU Labour Force Survey data to show how recent developments appear to have stimulated processes of occupational upgrading while disproportionately reducing employment in low-paid services jobs.
This section provides information on the data contained in this publication.
This research paper contains the following lists of tables and figures.
List of tables
Table 1: Employment shifts, by sector and occupation, EU27 (pp)
Table 2: Changes in employment, by sector (Nomenclature of Economic Activities two-digit), EU27, Q2 2008–Q2 2023
Table 3: Changes in employment, by ISCO two-digit occupation category, EU27, Q2 2008–Q2 2023
Table 4: Share of employment of professionals, by sector, EU27, 2008–2023
Table 5: Share of employment, by gender composition, EU27, 2011 and 2023
Table 6: Share of women employed (%) and headcount (millions) in jobs employing the largest numbers of workers, EU27, 2011–2023
List of figures
Figure 1: Population and employment of people of working age (15–64) in the EU27 (A) and working age population decline in the EU12 (2001 = 100) (B), 2001–2022
Figure 2: Year-on-year change in employment, by quarter, EU27 (%)
Figure 3: Share of employment in mainly public services, EU27, 2008–2023 (%)
Figure 4: Share of employment in the core IT sector in the EU27 and selected Member States (%)
Figure 5: Share of employment in the construction sector, EU27, 2008–2023 (%)
Figure 6: Changes in employment, by job–wage quintile, EU27, 2008–2010 (Q2) (A) and 2011–2023 (Q2) (B) (millions)
Figure 7: Employment distribution and change by job–wage quintile, by broad sector, 2011–2023 (millions)
Figure 8: Changes in employment in mainly private services, EU27, 2011–2023 (millions)
Figure 9: Change in the gender–age composition of the labour market, EU27, 2008, 2019 and 2023 (%)
Figure 10: Average annual change in employment rate, by age group, EU27, 2008–2019 (Q2) and 2019–2023 (Q2) (pp)
Figure A1: Share of employment in the manufacturing sector, 2008–2023 (%)
Figure A2: Share of employment in the agriculture sector, 2008–2023 (%)
Figure A3: Changes in employment by job–wage quintile, EU Member States, 2011–2019 (Q2) and 2019–2023 (Q2), in thousands
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2024), The changing structure of employment in the EU: Annual review 2023, Eurofound research paper, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
