(21 April 2018) – In 2017, the employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 in the European Union stood at 72.2%, up compared with 2016 (71.1%).
The Europe 2020 strategy target is to reach a total employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 of at least 75% in the EU by 2020. This objective has been translated into different national targets in order to reflect the situation and possibilities of each Member State to contribute to the common goal.
Employment rates above 75% were recorded in Sweden (81.8%), Germany (79.2%), Estonia (78.7%), the Czech Republic (78.5%), the United Kingdom (78.2%), the Netherlands (78.0%), Denmark (76.9%), Lithuania (76.0%) and Austria (75.4%).
The upward trend in the employment rate is visible both for men (78%) and women (66.5%).
Similarly, the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 in the EU has grown steadily, from 38.4% in 2002 to 57.1% in 2017.