There were over 32.1 million people working in the manufacturing sector in the European Union, as of 2022, the most of any economic sector. Employees working in wholesale and retail trade numbered approximately 27.5 million, while there were just over 22.7 million people working in human health and social work.
Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector
(in 1,000s)
Characteristic
Number of employees in thousands
Manufacturing
32,058.5
Wholesale and retail trade
27,497.5
Human health and social work
22,688.7
Education
15,614.8
Public administration and defence
14,319.3
Construction
13,678.1
Professional, scientific and technical activities
12,186
Transportation and storage
10,770.5
Accomodation and food service
8,912.7
Administrative and support service activities
8,238.9
Information and communication
7,776.2
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
7,128.7
Financial and insurance
5,601
Other service activities
5,151.6
Arts, entertainment and recreation
3,369.5
Activities of households as employers
1,940.5
Real estate
1,870.5
Water supply, sewerage, and waste management
1,661.1
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
1,529.6
Other
708.6
Mining and quarrying
516
Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Eurostat. (June 16, 2023). Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/
Eurostat. "Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector (in 1,000s)." Chart. June 16, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/
Eurostat. (2023). Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 20, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/
Eurostat. "Number of Employees in The European Union in Quarter 1 of 2023, by Sector (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/
Eurostat, Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/ (last visited September 20, 2024)
Number of employees in the European Union in quarter 1 of 2023, by sector (in 1,000s) [Graph], Eurostat, June 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195197/employment-by-sector-in-europe/