Malta, together with Lithuania and Portugal, recorded the highest growth in the number of people in employment among EU states in the second quarter this year compared with the previous quarter.

According to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm, all recorded an increase of 1.3%.

The highest decline was recorded in Estonia (-1.5%), Romania (-0.8%) and Croatia (-0.7%).

Employment growth in the euro area and EU

The number of employed people increased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU in the second quarter of 2023, compared with the previous quarter.

In the first quarter of 2023, employment had increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.1% the EU in the second quarter of 2023, after +1.6% in the euro area and +1.5% the EU in the first quarter of 2023.

Hours worked increased by 0.2% in the euro area and decreased by 0.1% in the EU in the second quarter of 2023, compared with the previous quarter.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the hours worked increased by 0.9% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU.

GDP growth in the euro area and the EU

In the second quarter of 2023, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.1% in the euro area and was stable in the EU, compared with the previous quarter. In the first quarter of 2023, GDP had increased by 0.1% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU. 

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.5% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU in the second quarter of 2023, after increases of 1.1% in both zones in the previous quarter. 

GDP growth by member state

Lithuania (+2.9%) recorded the highest increase of GDP compared to the previous quarter, followed by Slovenia (+1.4%) and Greece (+1.3%). The highest decreases were observed in Poland ( 2.2%), Sweden ( 0.8%) and Austria ( 0.7%).

Compared with the same quarter last year, the highest growth was - 3.9% - was recorded by Malta.

Employment levels in the euro area and EU

Based on seasonally adjusted figures, Eurostat estimates that in the second quarter of 2023, 216.3 million people were employed in the EU, of which 168.5 million were in the euro area.