Labor force, total in European Union
European Union: Labor force, total was 221.68 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in European Union, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
European Union recorded 221.68 million for labor force, total in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in European Union peaked at 221.87 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 189.65 million, in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 192.68 million | 189.65 million | 196.53 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 204.02 million | 197.12 million | 210.39 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 213.48 million | 210.67 million | 216.92 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 219.06 million | 214.37 million | 221.87 million | 6 |
More education data for European Union
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 14.2% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.4% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 1.89 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 102.5% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 102.4% (2024)
- Labor force, female 46.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9996 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 107.0% (2024)
- Probability of dying among adolescents ages 10-14 years 0.4811 per 1,000 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in European Union?
- Labor force, total in European Union was 221.68 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 221.87 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 189.65 million in 1990.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.