EU employment rate rises to 63.8 pct in 2005

The employment rate in the European Union (EU) was 63.8 percent last year, up from 62.4 percent in 2004, the EU's statistical office Eurostat said on Monday.

The employment rate for women in 2005 was 56.3 percent, compared with 53.6 percent in 2000.

But the figures still fell short of the EU's targets of 67 percent for the total employment rate and 57 percent for the female employment rate, which EU leaders envisaged for 2005.

EU leaders in 2000 set an employment target of 70 percent for 2010 as part of the Lisbon agenda, which seeks to make the EU the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

Eurostat said last year that 197.5 million people aged 15 years or more had a job or a business activity in the 25-nation EU.

Employment rates varied in EU member states from 52.8 percent in Poland at the bloc's lowest end, to 75.9 percent in Denmark at its highest.

In addition to Denmark, the other member states boasting of an employment rate above 70 percent include the Netherlands (73.2 percent), Sweden (72.5 percent) and Britain (71.7 percent).

The other EU countries with a rate below 60 percent are listed as Malta (53.9 percent), Hungary (56.9 percent), Italy (57.6 percent) and Slovakia (57.7 percent).

Germany, the largest economy in the EU, recorded an employment rate of 65.4 percent, while France registered 63.1 percent.

Source: english.people.com.cn