Job vacancy rate at 2%

In the first quarter of 2021, the job vacancy rate was 2.1% in the euro area, up from 1.9% in the previous quarter and 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The job vacancy rate in the EU was 2.0% in the first quarter of 2021, up from 1.8% in the previous quarter and in the first quarter of 2020.

In the euro area, the job vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2021 was 1.9% in industry and construction, and 2.2% in services. In the EU, the rate was 1.9% in industry and construction, and 2.1% in services.

Among the Member States for which comparable data are available, the highest job vacancy rates in the first quarter of 2021 were recorded in Czechia (5.0%), Belgium (3.5%) and the Netherlands (3.0%). In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Greece (0.3%) and Spain (0.7%).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the job vacancy rate fell in eight Member States, remained stable in five Member States and increased in twelve Member States. Data were not available for France (first quarter of 2020) nor Ireland (first quarter of 2021).

The largest decreases were recorded in Czechia and Luxembourg (both -0.7 pp) and Sweden (-0.4 pp). The largest increases were recorded in Italy (+0.8 pp), Lithuania (+0.5 pp) and the Netherlands (+0.4 pp).

In Cyprus this rate increased to 2.0% in  the first quarter of 2021, up from 1.3% in the last of 2020, but stable compared to the first quarter of 2020.