Persons in employment, January 2023

Key statistics:

• around 926,700 persons in employment (0.9% fewer than in the previous month and 1.9% more than previous year);
• around 828,000 persons in paid employment (1.0% fewer than in the previous month and 1.8% more than previous year);.
• around 98,700 self-employed persons (0.6% fewer fewer than in the previous month and 2.4% more than previous year);
• 3.8% decrease in the number of persons employed in construction at a monthly level;
• the average age of persons in employment in 2022 was 43.5 years.

Fewer persons in employment at the monthly level

The number of persons in employment decreased by 0.9% or by just over 8,600 compared to the previous month. The number of persons in paid employment decreased by almost 8,100 or 1.0% and the number of self-employed persons by almost 600 or 0.6%. At the annual level, the number of persons in employment increased by 1.9%. The number of persons in paid employment increased by 1.8% and the number of self-employed persons by 2.4%.

Compared to December, the number of men and women in employment decreased. The former by 1.4% (to around 509,700) and the latter by 0.3% (to around 417,000). However, at the annual level the number of men in employment increased by 2.0% and of women in employment by 1.7%.

The number of persons in employment decreased at the monthly level in both the public and private sectors, and both for men and women. In the public sector the number decreased to just over 246,400 (or by 0.5%) and in the private sector to around 680,200 (or by 1.1%). The number of men in employment in the public sector decreased by just over 700 (or 0.8%) and the number of women by around 400 (or 0.3%). The number of men in employment in the private sector decreased by around 6 600 (or 1.5%) and the number of women by just over 900 (or 0.4%).

Decrease in almost all activities

The number of persons in employment decreased the most in construction (to around 73,700 or 3.8%) and in manufacturing (to around 211,700 or 1.2.%) and. At the annual level, both activities recorded an increase: construction by 6.3% and manufacturing by 1.6%.

Among construction activities, the largest decrease in the number of persons in employment compared to the previous month was observed in specialised construction activities, more specifically in electrical, plumbing and other construction installation, i.e. by around 1,100 or 6.5%. Among manufacturing activities, the largest decrease was observed in manufacture of wiring devices, i.e. by just over 900 or 60%.

Women in employment on average older than men

The average age of persons in employment in 2022 was 43.5 years, 0.2 years more than in 2021. The average age of men and women in employment was 43.1 and 43.9 years, respectively. Comparing data series from 2002 on, the average age of women in employment has been higher than the average age of men in employment since 2012. This is because women on average stay in school longer and, as a result, enter the labour market later. The 2012 pension system reform also brought gradual gender parity, raising the retirement age to 65 and providing bonuses for staying in work beyond the minimum retirement age.

Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database.