Between 2000 and 2009, employment in the agricultural sector in the EU27 decreased by 25%, the equivalent of 3.7 million full-time jobs. It fell by 17% in the EU15 and by 31% in the 12 Member States (NMS12) that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. In 2009, employment in the agricultural sector was equivalent to 11.2 million full-time jobs in the EU27, of which 5.4 million were in the EU15 and 5.8 million in the NMS1.

Between 2000 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker increased by 5% on average in the EU27, although the change differed significantly between the NMS12 (+61%) and the EU15 (-10%).

Fall in employment of between 3% in Greece and 55% in Estonia from 2000 to 2009

In 2009, the five Member States with the highest employment in the agricultural sector accounted for almost two thirds of the EU27 total: Poland (20% of EU27 employment in agricultural sector, the equivalent of 2.2 million full-time workers), Romania (19% and 2.1 million), Italy (10% and 1.2 million), Spain and France (both 8% and 0.9 million).

Between 2000 and 2009, employment in the agricultural sector fell in all Member States. In general, the largest decreases were found among the NMS12: Estonia (-55%), Bulgaria (-48%) and Slovakia (-43%). The smallest decreases were registered in Greece (-3%) and Ireland (-4%). Among the five Member States with the highest employment in the agricultural sector, employment fell by 11% in Poland, 41% in Romania, 16% in Italy and 17% in both Spain and France.

Over 100% increase in real agricultural income per worker in Latvia, Estonia and Poland from 2000 to 2009

Between 2000 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker rose in 17 Member States and fell in ten. The highest increases were found in Latvia (+140%), Estonia (+131%), Poland (+107%), the United Kingdom (+71%) and Lithuania (+70%), and the largest decreases in Denmark (-46%), Italy and Luxembourg (both -36%), Ireland (-30%) and the Netherlands (-28%).

Between 2008 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker fell by 12% in the EU27. Real agricultural income per worker fell in 21 Member States, remained nearly unchanged in two and rose in four. The largest decreases were found in Hungary (-32%), Luxembourg (-25%), Ireland (-24%), Germany and Italy (both -21%), and the highest increases in Malta (+8%) and Denmark (+4%).