Employment continued to climb across the European Union in 2025, reaching its highest level since 2009, according to figures published by Eurostat.
The employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 rose to 76.1 percent, representing about 197.7 million workers. That marks an increase of 0.3 percentage points from 2024 and 0.8 points compared with 2023.
Cyprus recorded an employment rate of 81.3 percent, up from 79.8 percent in 2024, placing it above the EU average and among the bloc’s stronger labor‑market performers. The highest rates were reported in Malta (83.6 percent), the Netherlands (83.4 percent) and the Czech Republic (82.9 percent. The lowest were in Italy (67.6 percent), Romania (69.0 percent) and Greece (71.0 percent).
Despite the overall gains, gender disparities persist. Employment among men in the EU reached 80.9 percent, compared with 71.3 percent for women — a gap of 9.6 percentage points.
The widest gender gaps were recorded in Italy, Romania and Greece, while the smallest were seen in Estonia and Lithuania.