The number of persons employed in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 decreased by 0.1% in the third quarter of 2011 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the second quarter of 2011, employment increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

The largest falls in employment were recorded in real estate activities (-1.2% in the euro area and -0.8% in the EU27) and construction (-1.2% and -0.4% respectively), while the only rises were registered in administration and other public services (+0.1% in both zones) and industry (+0.1% in the euro area and 0.0% in the EU27).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment grew by 0.2% in the euro area, but fell by 0.1% in the EU27 in the third quarter of 2011.

Eurostat estimates that, in the third quarter of 2011, 222.9 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 146.9 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted.