Do You Know Europeans Have the Highest Employment?
European labor markets are some of the strongest in the world, and they maintain some of the highest employment rates globally. In the European Union (EU), employment rates have consistently remained high, despite the economic crisis of the last decade. Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, reported that the employment rate for people between the ages of 15 and 64 reached a record high in 2018 with 73.3% of the population employed. To gain a better perspective on which regions of Europe have the highest employment rates, let’s take a closer look.
Which European Countries Have the Highest Employment?
The Nordic countries, and particularly Norway, had the highest employment rates in Europe in 2018. The Norwegian employment rate stood at 78.4%, followed by the other Nordic countries – Sweden at 77.2%, Denmark at 75.3% and Finland at 71.0%. The rate in the Netherlands was also fairly high at 72.0%. However, all these countries also have very large temporary labor sectors, which explains the high employment rate.
Employment in the Developed Parts of the European Countries
The countries of the Western Balkans, the western part of the Balkans and Slovenia, also have high employment rates. The 2018 employment rate in Albania stood at 73.2%, while the figure was 71.3% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Slovenia, the most economically well-developed country in the Western Balkans, had an employment rate of 72.4%.
Employment in Germany
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany exhibited the highest employment rates among the large EU countries, at 76.0%. While France and Italy had employment rates of 74.9% and 59.9%, respectively. The rest of the Eastern European countries, apart from Slovenia, have lower employment rates.
Conclusion
Overall, Europe has some of the highest employment rates in the world, and many of its regions, such as Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany, rank among the highest. Europe’s regions with the highest employment rates share common traits: a focus on education, innovation, and progressive labor policies. These areas serve as inspiring examples for other regions, demonstrating that investing in education, fostering innovation, and ensuring equal opportunities can lead to flourishing job markets and enhanced quality of life for citizens.
