The number of persons employed decreased by 0.2% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 in the third quarter of 2012 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 2012, employment was stable in the euro area and increased by 0.1% in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Employment decreased in most sectors, the largest fall being recorded in construction (-1.5% in the euro area and -1.3% in the EU27).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU27 in the third quarter of 2012 (after -0.7% and -0.3% respectively in the second quarter of 2012).

Eurostat estimates that, in the third quarter of 2012, 222.6 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 146.0 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

These quarterly data on employment provide a picture of labour input consistent with the output and income measure of national accounts.