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

Falls in employment were recorded in construction (-0.9% in both the euro area and the EU27) and manufacturing (-0.1% and -0.2% respectively). Employment in agriculture increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU27. In financial services & business activities employment increased by 0.3% in both the euro area and the EU27. In other services (which mainly include public administration, health and education) employment grew by 0.3% and 0.2% respectively. In trade, transport & communication services employment grew by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU27.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment grew by 0.3% in both the euro area and the EU27 in the fourth quarter of 2010. In the third quarter of 2010, employment decreased by 0.2% in the euro area and 0.1% in the EU27.

Over the whole year of 2010, employment decreased by 0.5% in both the euro area and the EU27, compared with -1.8% in both zones in 2009.

Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2010, 221.7 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 144.8 million 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.