Fewer people outside the labour force in 2009 - Issue number 57/2010 - Products Statistics in Focus

Increased female participation in the labour market

In 2009, the number of inactive persons as a percentage of the population aged 15-64 reached a new low of 28.9% in the EU-27, continuing the downward trend of the previous years. This development is largely due to the increased participation of women in the labour market. The share of women outside of the labour market fell from 39.9% in 2000 to 35.7% in 2009, while the share of men outside the labour force remained almost stable, falling slightly from 22.8% in 2000 to 22.2% in 2009. The economically inactive population remains a heterogeneous group, e.g. as regards age, reasons for inactivity and the level of attachment to the labour market.