Money Buzz! Europa

Category: Jobs

  • Three quarters of utility workers in EU are men

    Three quarters of utility workers in EU are men

    Eurostat shows that in 2019, 4.6 million persons aged 15 years or older were employed in the utilities sector in the European Union (EU), representing 2.3% of all persons employed.

    The utilities sector covers electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (31% of the employment in the sector), waste collection, treatment and disposal activities (22%), telecommunications (19%), retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised store (10%), water collection, treatment and supply (9%), manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (4%), sewerage (3%), as well as remediation activities and other waste management services (1%), extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas (1%) and support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction (1%).

    The utilities sector is male dominated

    In 2019, almost three quarters (73%) of the workers in the sector were men. Most of the workers employed in this sector in the EU were aged 35-49 (40%), while one in three (33%) were aged 50 or above.

    Only one quarter (27%) of the workers in the sector were aged 15-34.

  • Unemployment rate at 3.8% in Hungary

    Unemployment rate at 3.8% in Hungary

    In the period of February–April 2020, the average number of unemployed people was 174 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 3.8%, latest Hungarian Central Statistical Office data show.

    Unemployment rate was lower for men than for women, with this indicator essentially stagnating for men and increasing for women.

    In April 2020, about 73 thousand people lost their jobs, of which 54 thousand became economically inactive and 19 thousand unemployed.

    In February–April 2020, compared to a year before

    Among men aged 15–74, the number of unemployed was 92 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 3.6%. In the case of women, the number of unemployed rose to 83 thousand and the unemployment rate to 4.0%

    Among people aged 15–24, the number of the unemployed was 35 thousand and their unemployment rate 11.2%. Nearly one fifth of the unemployed belonged to this age group. Unemployment rates for people aged 25–54, being in the so-called best working age grew by 0.4 percentage point to 3.5%, and for people aged 55–74 remained virtually unchanged, with 2.1%.

    The average duration of unemployment was 9.2 months; 25.7% of unemployed people had been searching for a job for one year or more, i.e. were long-term unemployed.

    In April 2020

    The average number of unemployed people was 187 thousand, and the unemployment rate was 4.1%

    Compared to the previous month, the number of unemployed increased by 19 thousand and compared to April 2019 by 29 thousand. The unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage point in one month and by 0.7 percentage point in one year.

    However, the number of jobless people increased significantly compared to the previous month, by about 73 thousand.

    The majority of people who lost their jobs did not actively look for work and / or could not start a new job within 2 weeks, mainly due to restrictions on personal relationships.

  • 65% of Romanian companies didn’t apply measures to reduce employee costs

    65% of Romanian companies didn’t apply measures to reduce employee costs

    Two thirds (65%) of the responding companies didn’t have to apply measures to reduce employee costs in the two months of the state of emergency, according to the HR Barometer conducted by PwC Romania in May.

    Cost-cutting companies have adopted a mix of measures applied differently depending on employees’ positions, in general targeting operational staff in areas most affected by the state of emergency.

    Thus, 11% have applied furloughs with help from the state budget, but without making up the difference, while 15% have used furloughs and covered the salary gap, 17% have reduced working time, with the agreement of the parties or granted unpaid leave, and 4% have laid off employees.

    In terms of wages, the survey shows that half of the respondents applied the salary increases for 2020 before the state of emergency was declared. The average increase was 5.77%, in line with forecasts announced in 2019.

    Almost 30% said they won’t increase salaries this year and 15% have changed their salary increase policy to only to critical positions. Benefit packages remained the same for 80% of respondents.

    The majority (65%) do not intend to change the system of variable payments.

    Back to work

    Less than a quarter of the companies surveyed (22%) returned to work on 18 May, with almost half not having decided on a return date yet.

    In this context, 80% intend to combine work from home with office work, even after the end of the state of emergency (15 May), with a majority taking employee opinions into account.

    Regarding HR activities, 37% of respondents said that they won’t change their recruitment and onboarding policies, and 30% stated their intention to postpone them until the state of emergency is lifted.

    Training and development programmes have been postponed by 33% of the respondents, with the same percentage having changed processes and tools, especially as part of digitalisation programmes.

  • 408 thousand persons were employed in the air transport sector in EU

    408 thousand persons were employed in the air transport sector in EU

    In 2019, 408 thousand persons aged 20-64 were employed in the air transport sector in the European Union (EU), representing an 11% increase compared with 2018.

    These workers accounted for 0.2% of total employment in the EU, Eurostat data shows.

    Among EU Member States, Luxembourg recorded the highest share of persons employed in the air transport sector (1.0% of total employment), followed by Malta (0.5%), Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal (all 0.4%).

    With regard to the gender balance, a small majority of air transport workers were men (56%). The highest share of men was recorded in Sweden (77%), followed by Denmark (74%) and Malta (73%).

    By contrast, Finland was the only EU Member State where women were predominant in the air transport sector (57% of air transport workers were women).

  • 15.9 million people were employed in the food supply sector in EU

    15.9 million people were employed in the food supply sector in EU

    In 2019, 15.9 million people aged over 15 were employed in the food supply sector in the European Union (EU), representing 8% of total employment, Eurostat shows.

    Almost half of people employed in the food supply sector worked in crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities (46%).

    Meanwhile, jobs in the manufacture of food products accounted for 26% of employment of this sector, followed by jobs in: retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (15%), wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco (8%), manufacture of beverages (3%), wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals (2%) and fishing and aquaculture (1%).

    The majority of food supply workers were men (59%) although the gender distribution varied with the activities: fishing and aquaculture recorded 88% of men while retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco registered 63% of women.

    As regards the distribution by age groups, over one-third (38%) of people employed in the food supply sector in the EU were aged 35 to 49, while people aged 50 or above accounted for 34% and those aged 15-34 for 28%.

    Romania recorded the highest share of food supply workers

    Among the EU Member States, Romania recorded the highest share of food supply workers (23%), followed by Greece (18%) and Poland (14%). By contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Luxembourg and Sweden (both 3%), followed by Denmark (4%).

    Germany is the only EU Member State where women were predominant in the food supply (52% of women and 48% of men) while Ireland recorded the highest share of men (78%), followed by Malta (72%) and Luxembourg (69%).

    In addition, only five EU Member States (Cyprus, Denmark, Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden) had their workers aged 15-34 dominating the food supply sector.

    In a majority (16 out of 27) of the EU Member States, the largest shares of food supply workers were in the 35-49 age group, with the highest shares reported in Bulgaria, Czechia, Spain and Hungary (all 43%), while in six EU Member States (Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia), people aged 50 and above accounted for the largest share of food supply workers.

  • Remote employees miss social interaction and the instant share of ideas

    Remote employees miss social interaction and the instant share of ideas

    Remote work is challenging for most Romanians who have worked from home in the current epidemiological context. Only 13% of them say they have a dedicated workspace at home, half compared to employees in Central and Eastern European (CEE), according to a study conducted by Colliers International among countries in the region, including Romania.

    In this context, most feel isolated and miss meetings with colleagues, even if work from home has meant a better work-life balance for some.

    In absence of an office or a dedicated workspace at home, 45% of Romanians say that the living room is the main area where they carry out their work activities, as is the case for half of respondents from Central and Eastern Europe. As a result, 40% of respondents say that they have difficulties working remote and feel that sometimes they have low concentration because they carry out professional activities in the same space where their children carry out school or fun activities.

    From home, half of the Romanian respondents to the Colliers International study admit that they feel isolated from their colleagues and only 27% still feel connected to the team. In contrast, in Central and Eastern European countries the situation is exactly the opposite – 62% of respondents say they are equally connected to the team even when working remote and only 29% feel isolated.

    Spontaneous meetings with colleagues are what lack most to employees working remote from the region (68%). In Romania, however, 75% of respondents lack especially the physical interaction with colleagues during a working day.

    For 67%, the lack of clear separation between their professional and personal life is most challenging and only 42% indicate spontaneous meetings with colleagues among the aspects they lack the most when working from home.

    The work-life balance has improved

    Even so, Romanians continued to work efficiently. Most respondents (CEE – 51%, Romania – 54%) consider that they remained equally productive during the remote working period, and for 21% of the respondents from CEE and 23% of those from Romania productivity even increased. At the same time, 44% of Romanian respondents say their work-life balances improved since their home became their workplace, a higher percentage than that recorded in Central and Eastern European countries.

    Most companies that are now focusing on remote work have already implemented the “work from home” concept in the pre-pandemic period. Specifically, both in Central and Eastern Europe and in Romania, over 60% of respondents were occasionally working from home before the current context, while 31% of those interviewed in Romania and 23% in countries in the region say they didn’t work at all remotely before.

    The study was conducted in March-April in 25 countries where Collies International operates, by collecting data online among nearly 4,400 respondents, including about a quarter of Central and Eastern European countries.

  • 70% of CFOs are very confident they can provide a safe working environment

    70% of CFOs are very confident they can provide a safe working environment

    As worksites reopen, over two thirds of CFOs are very confident they can meet employees and customers’ safety expectations, according to the most recent PwC COVID-19 CFO Pulse survey.

    So, 75% of CFOs feel very confident they can meet customers’ safety expectations, and 70% are very confident they can provide a safe working environment for employees. Though, only about half of CFOs say they are very confident about their company’s ability to manage their employees’ well-being and morale.

    Regarding the future of finance, 85% of CFOs expect some decrease in revenues and/or profits this year as a result of COVID-19. Capex investments are CFOs’ most likely source of deferrals or cuts (83%), compared to just 18% who are planning cuts to R&D and 16% who expect to scale back their investment in digital transformation.

    More than one-third (37%) of CFOs also expect changes in staffing — temporary leaves or furloughs — due to low or slow demand, and another third anticipate productivity loss to occur over the next month due to lack of remote work capabilities.

    Industrial manufacturing and automotive CFOs are more likely than average to expect changes in staffing (46%) and layoffs (39%) in the coming month. Meanwhile, health industries CFOs are more likely to expect higher demand for employee protections (58%) and insufficient staffing for critical work (36%).

    Given the need to limit the number of people in close contact, about half (49%) of CFOs are considering making remote work a permanent option where feasible, which corresponds to another finding: 72% of CFOs say that the work flexibility they have created in response to the crisis will benefit their company in the long run.

    PwC COVID-19 CFO Pulse survey conclusions

    • Although 42% of CFOs believe their company could return to ‘business as usual’ within three months if COVID-19 were to end today, there is a growing sentiment in many territories that recovery may take much longer.
    • Of health industries respondents, 82% note that human interaction is required to deliver products and services, and 49% will not be able to effectively work remotely.
    • CFOs in Denmark (72%), Germany (67%) and Mexico (69%) are most likely to consider making virtual working arrangements a permanent option.
    • 48% of CFOs are looking at accelerating automation and other new ways of working — among Germany CFOs, this jumps to 76%.
  • 2.8 million unemployed europeans found work in Q4 2019

    2.8 million unemployed europeans found work in Q4 2019

    Eurostat shows that between the third quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2019, the last quarter before COVID-19 containment measures began to be widely introduced by Member States, 2.8 million people in the EU (21.4% of all unemployed in the third quarter of 2019) found a job.

    During this period, 7.2 million (55.4%) remained unemployed and a further 3.0 million (23.2%) became economically inactive.

    Of all those initially in employment in the third quarter of 2019, 2.1 million (1.3%) became unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2019, and 3.5 million (2.3%) transitioned into economic inactivity.

    From those initially counted as economically inactive in the third quarter of 2019, 3.4 million (3.4%) moved into employment in the fourth quarter of 2019, and 3.3 million (3.3%) transitioned into unemployment.

  • Almost 2 million people work in Bulgarian service sector

    Almost 2 million people work in Bulgarian service sector

    In the first quarter of 2020 there were 3 107.2 thousand employed persons aged 15 years and over, of whom 1 667.1 thousand men and 1 440.1 thousand women.

    The share of employed persons in the total population aged 15 years and over was 52.4% (58.7% for men and 46.7% for women).

    In the first quarter of 2020, 1 987.3 thousand persons (64.0% of all employed persons) worked in the service sector, 935.6 thousand persons (30.1%) worked in the industry sector and 184.3 thousand persons
    (5.9%) worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

    Of all employed persons 3.1% (96.8 thousand) were employers, 6.9% (214.8 thousand) were self-employed persons without employees, 89.4% (2 777.4 thousand) were employees and 0.6% (18.2 thousand) were unpaid family workers.

    Of all employees 2 086.1 thousand persons (75.1%) worked in private sector while 691.4 thousand (24.9%) worked in public sector.

    The number of employees with temporary job was 87.3 thousand, representing 3.1% of all employees.

  • Employment fell in most sectors in Slovakia, in March 2020

    Employment fell in most sectors in Slovakia, in March 2020

    • Employment fell in most sectors, rising only in information and communication and transportation and storage, show latest data of the Slovak Statistical Office.
    • Only half of sectors recorded an increase in the average monthly wage.

    In March 2020 compared with March 2019, the employment increased in information and communication by 4,6 % and in transportation and storage by 1,1 %.

    It decreased in industry by 3,6 %, retail trade by 3,5 %, food and beverage service activities by 3 %, accommodation by 2,3 %, wholesale by 1,8 %, sale and repair of motor vehicles by 1,4 %, construction by 0,9 % and in selected market services by 0,8 %.

    In the first three months of 2020, compared with the corresponding period in 2019, employment rose, on average, in information and communication by 5,3 %, accommodation by 2,1 %, transportation and storage by 1,7 %, selected market services by 1,5 %, construction and food and beverage service activities equally by 0,2 %.

    It decreased in retail trade by 2,6 %, industry by 2,5 %, wholesale by 1,1 % and in sale and repair of motor vehicles by 0,2 %.

    Average monthly wage increased in only half of sectors

    In March 2020 compared with March 2019, the average monthly wage increased in food and beverage service activities by 7,5 % (reached EUR 528), wholesale by 4,1 % (EUR 1.082), retail trade by 4 % (EUR 777), industry by 2,5 % (EUR 1.156) and in information and communication by 2 % (EUR 2.227).

    It decreased in accommodation by 6,9 % (EUR 704), sale and repair of motor vehicles by 2,3 % (EUR 997), construction by 2,1 % (EUR 712),  selected market services by 0,9 % (EUR 1.034) and in  transportation and storage by 0,4 % (EUR 987).

    In the first three months of 2020, compared with the corresponding period in 2019, the wage increased, on average, in food and beverage service activities by 10,9 % (reached EUR 550), retail trade by 7,2 % (EUR 790), industry by 4,8 % (EUR 1.155), wholesale by 4,3 % (EUR 1.063), transportation and storage by 4 % (EUR 1.016), selected market services by 3,9 % (EUR 1.031), information and communication by 3,4 % (EUR 2 037), accommodation by 2,9 % (EUR 770), construction by 2,3 % (EUR 723) and in sale and repair of motor vehicles by 1,3 % (EUR 1.046).

  • In 2019, 2.3% of employees in EU had a work contract under 3 months’ duration

    In 2019, 2.3% of employees in EU had a work contract under 3 months’ duration

    In 2019, 2.3% of employees in the European Union (EU) aged 20-64 had a precarious job, meaning that their work contract did not exceed three months’ duration, show Eurostat.

    The share of precarious employment, as a percentage of total employment, has remained relatively stable over the past decade, ranging from a low of 2.3% in 2009 to a high of 2.5% during the period 2015-2017.

    Employees in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector had the highest share of precarious work contracts, at 7.5% in 2019. This was followed by the wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food service activities sector (2.8%) and the and the sector of the other service activities and the activities of households as employers (2.4%).

    Seasonality in precarious employment

    Between 2014 and 2019, most economic activities displayed seasonal fluctuations, however at different magnitudes. Overall, the third quarter had the highest number of employees with precarious jobs.

    Among all economic activities, the wholesale, retail trade, transport, accommodation and food service activities sector represented the sharpest fluctuations in the number of employees who had precarious jobs, with an average increase of 30% from the second to the third quarter.

    Share of precarious employment highest in Croatia, lowest in Czechia and Romania

    Among the EU Member States, Croatia has had one of the highest shares of precarious employment since 2012. However, since its peak in 2016 (8.0%) this share has been gradually decreasing, reaching 5.8% in 2019.

    Other EU countries reporting the highest shares of precarious employment in 2019 were France (5.0%), Spain (3.8), Belgium (3.6%), and Italy (3.4%).

    At the other end of the scale, Czechia and Romania recorded the lowest share of precarious employment (both 0.2%).

  • Greek unemployment rate, to record the biggest increase in a decade

    Greek unemployment rate, to record the biggest increase in a decade

    Greek unemployment rate is expected to record the biggest increase in a decade, suprassing the period 2011-2013, the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEV) said in a report, cited by AMNA.gr.

    The report said that the balance of job flows in March fell to its maximum negative level since 2001 (-41,903 job positions), a figure worse from the 2011-2013 period when the collapse of the Greek economy was at its peak. 

    New hirings fell 49% in March compared with the same month last year (103,002 from 202,157), while dismissals fell 8.7 pct to 144,905 from 158,784. 

    SEV noted that two sectors recorded a positive balance of labor flows: public administration and defense (+1,115 job positions) and human health (+393).