FX.co ★ Euro Area Employment Rises More than Expected

In the first quarter of 2025, the number of employed individuals in the Eurozone increased by 0.3% from the previous quarter, reaching 171.79 million, according to a preliminary estimate. This marks an acceleration from the 0.1% uptick observed in the prior period and surpasses market expectations of 0.1%. Notably, this is the 16th consecutive quarter of employment growth. Across the wider European Union, employment saw a growth of 0.2%. Employment gains were observed in Spain (+0.8%), Czechia (+0.5%), Finland (+0.4%), Sweden (+0.3%), and Luxembourg (+0.1%). However, declines were reported in Estonia (-0.8%), Poland (-0.6%), France (-0.1%), the Netherlands (-0.1%), and Lithuania (-0.1%). On a yearly basis, employment growth within the Eurozone recorded a rise of 0.8%.