The number of persons employed in the euro area (EA16) fell by 0.5% (712 000 persons) in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the same period, the number of persons employed in the EU27 also decreased by 0.5% (1 019 000 persons). In the second quarter of 2009, employment declined by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

All sectors of the economy recorded a decrease in employment, except other services (which mainly includes public administration, health and education), which grew by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU27. Decreases were recorded in construction (-2.0% and -1.9% respectively), manufacturing (-1.7% and -1.6%), agriculture (-1.1% and -0.4%), financial services & business activities (-0.5% and -0.4%) and trade, transport & communication services (-0.1% and -0.2%).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell by 2.1% in the euro area and by 2.0% in the EU27 in the third quarter of 2009. In the second quarter of 2009, employment decreased by 1.8% and 1.7% respectively.

Eurostat estimates that, in the third quarter of 2009, 221.6 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 144.8 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.