Brussels, 25/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - Representing 7% of the 22 million companies in Europe, SMEs account for 38% of jobs and 38% of total turnover in 2011, says Eurostat.
The latest data of the statistical office of the EU, published in European SME week (25-30 November), show that SMEs continue to be the driving force behind the European economy: small and medium-sized enterprises (employing between 10 and 249 people) accounted for 38% of employment and 38% of the total turnover of the non-financial business economy of the EU of 28 in 2011, whilst micro-enterprises (93% of the total number of businesses) represented 30% of employment and 17% of turnover, and large companies 33% of employment and 44% of turnover.
The highest proportions of SMEs were recorded in Germany (18% of companies), Romania and Luxembourg (13%) and the lowest in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (4% each). In all member states, the proportion of large companies was less than or equal to 0.5%.
SMEs employed the highest numbers of people in most member states, with the highest proportions to be seen in the Baltic states (51% of total employment in Latvia and Lithuania, 49% in Estonia). Micro-enterprises concentrated the most jobs in six member states, with Italy (46%) and Portugal (42%) in the lead, and large businesses in two - the United Kingdom (40%) and France (37%).
The highest shares of turnover generated by SMEs were to be seen in Luxembourg (60% of total turnover), Latvia (52%) and Austria (49%). By way of comparison, half or more of turnover was generated by large businesses in the United Kingdom (56%), Germany (52%) and Finland (50%), and the share of turnover generated by micro-enterprises was the highest in Estonia (31%), Cyprus (27%) and Italy (25%). (EH/transl.fl)