In the third quarter, seasonally-adjusted GDP fell by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the European Union compared to the previous quarter, according to an estimate published by the EU’s statistical office (Eurostat) on Thursday 7 September.
In the second quarter, GDP rose by 0.1% in both the euro area and the EU.
The countries with the highest GDP growth were Malta (2.4%), Poland (1.5%) and Cyprus (1.1%). The biggest falls were seen in Ireland (-1.9%), Estonia (-1.3%) and Finland (-0.9%). In addition to these three countries, wealth production fell in 10 Member States: Germany and France (-0.1% each), Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. It was zero in Greece and Lithuania. Growth remained modest and sluggish in Spain (0.3%), but positive in Italy (0.1%).
Employment. Again according to Eurostat, in the third quarter of this year, the number of people in employment rose by 0.2% in the euro area and the EU compared with the previous quarter. In the second quarter, employment rose by 0.1% in both zones. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)