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Brussels – The number of persons employed increased by 0.3% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.2% in the EU28 in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2016, employment increased by 0.2% in both areas. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.0% in the EU28 in the fourth quarter of 2016 (after +1.2% and +1.1% respectively in the third quarter of 2016).

Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2016, 232.9 million men and women were employed in the EU28 (highest level ever recorded); of which 153.9 million were in the euro area (highest level since the third quarter of 2008). These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Over the whole year 2016, employment rose by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU28, compared with +1.0% and +1.1% respectively in 2015.

These quarterly data on employment provide a picture of labour input consistent with the output and income measure of national accounts.

Among Member States for which data are available, Malta (+1.9%), Luxembourg and Cyprus (both +0.9%) recorded the highest increases in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with the previous quarter. In contrast, decreases in employment were observed in Estonia (-1.5%), Greece (-0.9%), Lithuania (-0.2%) and Croatia
(-0.1%).