Historic record: The employment rate in the EU surpassed 76%
The year 2025 brought a historic breakthrough in the European labor market. For the first time, the average employment rate in the European Union exceeded 76%, bringing the Community closer to the ambitious target of 78% set for this decade. Such high labor force participation is due, among other things, to the record share of women in the economy and the growing number of working seniors.
In 2025, a historic moment was recorded for the EU labor market – the employment rate in the EU rose above 76%.
This is an important milestone that brings the Community closer to achieving the target set in the "Europe 2030" program (which assumes a level of 78%). Here are the key details of this trend:
New record: The 76% level (197.7 million employed people) is the highest result in the history of the European Union, reflecting the economy's strong resilience despite earlier macroeconomic turbulence.
Poland: the employment rate was 78.8%
Labor force participation: The increase is mainly driven by greater female participation in the labor market and record-high labor force activity among older people (the 55–64 age group).
Regional differences: Although the EU average is impressive, countries such as the Netherlands and Sweden are recording results above 82%, while countries in Southern Europe are still hovering around 70%.
Impact on demographics: A high employment rate is now crucial to offset the effects of population aging and the shrinking working-age population.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260417-1
