The number of persons employed in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 was stable in the first 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 fourth quarter of 2010, employment increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Employment in financial services & business activities increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27. Manufacturing grew by 0.4% and 0.3% respectively. Trade, transport & communication services grew by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27. Other services (which mainly include public administration, health and education) fell by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27. Falls in employment were recorded in agriculture (-1.6% in the euro area and -0.2% in the EU27) and construction (-0.8% and ‑1.1% respectively).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment grew by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27 in the first quarter of 2011.

Eurostat estimates that, in the first quarter of 2011, 222.9 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 146.5 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.