Only 65% of the adult population of the European Union under the age of 64 live on income earned through their own work
The employment rate, which stood at 62% of the population aged 15-64 in 2000, rose to 66% in 2008, and only last year fell to 65%. This is primarily explained by the fact that more and more women who previously did not have unemployed status started working. If in 2000 the number of working women was 54% of the total adult women, then last year this figure approached 59%. In addition, the number of people working part-time increased: from 15% in 2000 to 18% in 2009.
The leader in employment level is the Netherlands, where 77% of the adult population works. They are followed by Denmark (72%), Sweden (72), Austria (71) and Germany (70). The lowest employment is in Malta (54), Hungary (55) and Italy (57). The example of Italy shows that the employment rate, unlike unemployment, does not necessarily reflect the social well-being of society, as it often depends on entrenched traditions in the labor market.
The relatively low employment in a number of Southern European countries is mainly due to low labor force participation of women. In Italy, the number of working women is 46%, in Greece 48, and in Spain 52. Lithuania is the only EU country where the share of female workers (60) exceeds the number of working men (59). The highest percentage of working women is in Denmark – 73.
Northern countries, in general, lead in employment of people aged 55-64. 70% of Swedes of pre-retirement age have jobs. In second place is Estonia with 60%, followed by Denmark, the United Kingdom (both at 57%) and Germany (52%). The fewest people in this age group are employed in Malta (28), Poland (32) and Hungary (33).
Incidentally, the European Commission has repeatedly emphasized that in the labor markets of post-socialist countries – with the exception of Estonia – discrimination against people of pre-retirement age is observed. Moreover, in these countries there is almost no practice of part-time hiring, which makes it difficult for young people and those over 55 to find employment.
The archaic nature of the labor market in the Eastern European EU countries is also manifested in the fact that the vast majority of employment contracts are typically concluded for an indefinite period, while in Western European countries the share of short-term contracts concluded for a period of up to several years ranges from 10 to 25 percent.
Carmen Kirsing.
Russkaya Germaniya