FX.co ★ Euro Area Employment Rises Less than Expected

In the first quarter of 2025, the Euro area's employed population grew by 0.2% compared to the previous quarter, reaching a total of 171.627 million. This increase was slightly below the preliminary forecast of a 0.3% rise and marked the 16th successive period of employment growth. Meanwhile, employment across the broader European Union remained stable. Notably, Croatia and Spain led with employment increases of 1.0% and 0.8%, respectively. In contrast, Romania experienced a significant employment decrease of 2.1%, followed by Estonia with a 0.8% decline, and both Lithuania and Poland saw a reduction of 0.6%. Employment also increased by 0.7% in Italy, while it remained unchanged in Germany and fell by 0.3% in France. Year-on-year, employment growth in the Eurozone reached 0.7%.