Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU28 in the fourth quarter of 2016 (after +1.2% and +1.1% respectively in the third quarter of 2016).
Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2016, 232.9 million men and women were employed in the EU28 (highest level ever recorded); of which 153.9 million were in the euro area (highest level since the third quarter of 2008). These figures are seasonally adjusted.
Over the whole year 2016, employment rose by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU28, compared with +1.0% and +1.1% respectively in 2015.
Employment growth in Member States
Among Member States for which data are available, Malta (+1.9%), Luxembourg and Cyprus (both +0.9%) recorded the highest increases in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with the previous quarter. In contrast, decreases in employment were observed in Estonia (-1.5%), Greece (-0.9%), Lithuania (-0.2%) and Croatia (-0.1%).
