The number of persons employed in both the euro area (EA16) and the EU27 was stable in the third quarter of 2010 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 2010, employment grew by 0.1% in both zones. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Falls in employment were recorded in construction (-1.1% in the euro area and -1.0% in the EU27) and manufacturing (-0.3% and -0.2% respectively). Agriculture fell by 0.2% in the euro area, but grew by 0.4% in the EU27. Financial services & business activities increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU27. Other services (which mainly include public administration, health and education) rose by 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. Trade, transport & communication services grew by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell by 0.2% in both the euro area and the EU27 in the third quarter of 2010. In the second quarter of 2010, employment decreased by 0.6% in both zones.

Eurostat estimates that, in the third quarter of 2010, 221.2 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 144.5 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.