Romania and Finland were the only two member states to record drops in the number of employees in the second quarter of 2015 compared with the same period of the previous year, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Romania saw a 1.6 percent drop in employment during Q2 year on year, while Finland showed a 0.7 percent decrease. The tendency has been negative throughout the year for both states, as Q1 of 2015 also indicated decreases (1.7 percent for Romania and 0.1 percent for Finland).
The EU28 registered an overall 0.9 percent increase in employment during the second quarter of 2015 when compared to the same quarter of last year, while Q1 showed a 1 percent increase.
Eurostat estimates that, in the second quarter of 2015, 228.8 million men and women were employed in the EU28, of which 151.0 million were in the euro area.
The number of persons employed increased by 0.2 percent in the EU28 in the second quarter of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, while in the first quarter there was a 0.3 percent increase.
Among member states, Portugal (1.3 percent) and Greece (1.2 percent) recorded the highest increases in employment during the second quarter of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, followed by Ireland and Spain (both 0.9 percent), Estonia (0.8 percent), Luxembourg and Slovakia (both 0.7 percent). Decreases were recorded in Finland (0.3 percent), the United Kingdom (0.2 percent), Bulgaria and Lithuania (both 0.1 percent).
There were no values recorded for Romania comparing data with the previous quarters.
Natalia Martian