The employment rate of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, at 67.2%, was above the average employment rate for countries within the EU-27, which stood at 65.4%, according to data from Eustat for 2007, the latest data available with which to make comparisons in both territories. The Spanish employment rate was 65.6% for that same year.

Denmark (77.1%), Holland (76.0%), Sweden (74.2%), Austria (71.4%) and the United Kingdom (71.3%) were the countries of the area that had the highest occupancy rates. On the other hand, Malta (55.7%), Poland (57.0%), Hungary (57.3%) Italy (58.7%) and Rumania (58.8%) were at the bottom of this ranking.

If these data are compared with those corresponding for the period between 1995 and 2007, it is possible to see the radical change that has taken place, as the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country Autonomous Community of the Basque Country went from having an employment rate of 48.5% in 1995, to 57.5% in 2000 and from there to 67.2% in 2007, with the latter being above the average of the EU-27. While these percentages in Spain stood at 46.9%, 56.3% and 65.6%, respectively, the average for this indicator in the countries that are part of the EU-27 rose from 62.2% in the year 2000 to 65.4% in 2007.

Employment rate (%) in the EU-27 (1995-2007)

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

With reference to women’s employment rates, that of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, at 57.3%, is near to the EU-27 average (58.3%). In this sense, the evolution of this indicator over the last few years can also be qualified as noteworthy within the Basque Country, as it rose from 34.4% in 1995, to 43.0% in 2000 and 57.3% in 2007.

The following countries in Northern Europe were at top of this ranking 2007: Denmark (73.2%), Sweden (71.8%), Holland (69.6%) and Finland (68.5%) were at the top of this table. However, Malta (36.9%), Italy (46.6%) and Greece (47.9%) were the countries with the lowest women’s employment rates. Spain, on the other hand, went from having a rate of 31.7% in 1995, to 41.3% in 2000 and 54.7% in 2007, that is to say, below the average of the EU-27.

However, it is also interesting to point out that the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country had, in 2007, an employment rate of the population aged between 55 and 64 of 41.2%, below the average of the EU-27 (44.7%) and that of Spain (44.6%).