The number of persons employed increased by 0.1% in the euro area (EA18) and by 0.2% in the EU28 in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the fourth quarter of 2013, employment also increased by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU28. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU28 in the first quarter of 2014 (after -0.4% and 0.0% respectively in the fourth quarter of 2013).

According to estimates from Eurostat, 224.2 million men and women were employed in the EU28, of which 146.1 million were in the euro area, in the first quarter of 2014. 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.

Employment growth in Member States

Among Member States for which data are available, Hungary (+1.5%), the United Kingdom (+0.9%), Latvia (+0.8%), the Czech Republic and Poland (both +0.5%) recorded the highest increases in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the previous quarter. Cyprus (-1.2%), Portugal (-0.3%), Lithuania and Finland (both -0.2%), Greece and Italy (both -0.1%) recorded the only decreases.