Employment in the EU27 and the euro area began to fall in the second quarter of 2008 as a result of the economic crisis. Between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009, employment dropped by 1.9% to 222.7 million persons in the EU27 and by 1.8% to 145.5 million in the euro area (EA16). However, the fall in employment was smaller than the contraction of economic activity (-4.9% GDP growth in the EU27 and -4.8% in the euro area in the same period). One of the reasons for this is the fact that employers can reduce the volume of hours worked and increase the use of part-time employment. This has been the case in the EU27 and in the euro area between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009. The analysis of the impact of the crisis on employment also shows that employees have been affected differently depending on their level of education.

These data, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, come from a publication on the impact of the economic crisis on the labour market in the EU. This publication also includes information about people on temporary contracts and job opportunities during the crisis.

Full-time employed work on average 0.7 hours less per week in the EU27

In the year up to the second quarter of 2009, the average number of actual hours worked per week by persons in full-time employment fell by 0.7 hours (from 41.0 hours per week to 40.3) in the EU27 and by 0.8 hours (from 40.8 to 40.0) in the euro area, while between the second quarters of 2007 and 2008 there had been a rise by 0.3 hours in both zones.

Between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009, the number of weekly working hours of a full-time worker went down in 24 out of the 27 Member States. The largest falls were registered in Estonia (-1.5 h), Austria, Slovakia and Finland (all -1.4 h), Germany and Sweden (both -1.3 h), Denmark (-1.2 h) and Slovenia (-1.1 h).

Highest rise in share of part-time workers in Estonia, Ireland and Lithuania

The share of part-time workers in total employment rose in the EU27 from 18.3% in the second quarter of 2008 to 18.8% in the second quarter of 2009, and from 19.6% to 20.0% in the euro area. Over the preceding year the share of part-time workers had remained stable in the EU27, while it had increased by 0.1 percentage point in the euro area.

Between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009, the share of part-time workers rose in 22 out of the 27 Member States. The highest increases were observed in Estonia (+5.3 percentage points to 11.7%), Ireland (+2.3 p.p. to 20.8%), Lithuania (+2.1 p.p. to 8.6%) and Slovakia (+1.8 p.p. to 4.0%).

EU27 employment continued to rise among persons with high qualifications

A fall in employment was observed among persons with low and medium levels of education, while employment continued to rise among persons with a high level of education.

Between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009, employment among those with a low level of education (up to lower secondary education) fell by 4.9% in the EU27 and by 5.4% in the euro area. Among those with a medium level of education (upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education), employment fell by 2.6% in the EU27 and by 1.6% in the euro area. By contrast, employment of those with a high level of education (tertiary education) rose by 3.0% and 2.6% respectively.

For comparison, between the second quarters of 2007 and 2008, the change of employment among those with a low level of education was -1.8% in the EU27 and -1.6% in the euro area, among those with a medium level of education it was +1.5% in the EU27 and +1.3% in the euro area, and among those with high level of education it was +4.0% in the EU27 and +3.8% in the euro area.