Brussels, 30/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Vacancy Monitor, which was published by the European Commission on Monday 30 January and provides an overview of recent developments on the European employment market, shows that the total number of people who found work has increased since last year, mainly thanks to performances in Germany. The people who found work did so largely in the private sector, as the austerity measures in the public sector led to a drop in the numbers of jobs in the education, health and social sectors. The arts and services sector saw the sharpest drop in new employment (-32%), due to such factors as a drop in funding for cultural institutions.
The European Vacancy Monitor shows that a high level of skills was a very important factor for people who have found a job, a Commission spokesperson noted. The number of people who found work in the 'professionals' category grew by 34% in the second quarter of 2011 and this increase was 25% in the 'legislators, senior civil servants and managers' category. However, the largest proportion of people who found work are workers with low skill levels.
Young people are the main driving force behind movement on the employment market. Nearly half (48%) of people who found work in 2010 (or around 20 million) were aged between 18 and 29. "Many young people are on temporary employment contracts or employed in low-paid jobs, in many cases because they have to work and study at the same time", said the Commission spokesperson.
The total number of jobs found in Europe (in 26 countries) in mid-2011 stood at 12.2 million euros, equivalent to 1.8 million more than in mid-2010. Between the end of the second quarter of 2010 and the end of the second quarter of 2011, some 46.7 million people in 26 countries found a job. Employment increased by around one million during the same period. This shows how the rotation of jobs represented a considerable proportion of jobs found during this period. The total growth in jobs found was largely due to Germany's strong performance, as between the second quarter of 2010 and the second quarter of 2011, it saw the greatest increase in jobs found (+57%, or more than three million jobs found), ahead of Lithuania (+42%, or 99,000), Malta (+36%) and Romania (+33%). In three countries (Greece, Poland and the Netherlands), the percentages were negative, particularly in Greece (-22%).
During spring 2011, the growth in situations vacant was highest in the manufacturing sector (39%) and the trade and repairs sector (26%). The youth unemployment rate (under 25 years old) stood at 22.3% in November 2011. (LC/transl.fl)