Despite the current challenges faced by companies, the job market in Europe continues to exhibit positive trends. In the second quarter, the number of employed individuals

increased not only in the European Union but also in the Eurozone as a whole. Remarkably, Portugal was one of the countries that experienced significant employment growth between April and June.

According to Eurostat data, "the number of people employed increased by 0.2% in the Eurozone and 0.1% in the European Union (EU), in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter." In year-on-year terms, employment expanded by 1.3% in the Eurozone and 1.1% in the EU.

This data reflects the resilience of the labor market, despite the challenges faced by employers, particularly due to ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe.

However, it's worth noting that there was a slight deceleration in employment growth between April and June. For instance, at the beginning of the year, the number of employed individuals in the Eurozone grew by 1.6% compared to the same period in 2022. Therefore, the 1.3% growth recorded in the second quarter indicates a slowdown.

Among the EU Member States, Portugal, Lithuania, and Malta stood out with a 1.3% increase in the number of employed individuals compared to the previous quarter, surpassing the variations seen in all other countries.

Conversely, the most significant declines in employment were observed in Estonia (-1.5%), Romania (-0.8%), and Croatia (-0.7%). Photo by  Carlos Goulão, Wikimedia commons.