Type of indicator

Socio-economic

Indicator C05

Employment rate

Definition 

Employed persons aged 15-64 years and 20-64 years[1] as a share of the total population of the same age group in rural areas:

Employed persons are all persons aged 15-64 (or 20-64) years and over who, during the reference week, worked at least one hour for pay or profit or were temporarily absent from such work. Employed persons comprise employees, self-employed and unpaid family workers.

Population covers persons aged 15-64 (or 20-64) years and over living in private households. This comprises all persons living in the households surveyed during the reference week. This definition also includes persons absent from the households for short periods (but having retained a link with the private household) owing to studies, holidays, illness, business trips, etc. Persons on compulsory military service are not included.

There are 3 sub-indicators:

  1. total employment rate by age groups
  2. rate by sex and by age groups
  3. rate by age groups in rural areas

Methodology: 

Based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the total employment rate of each country can be disaggregated by degree of urbanisation. This degree of urbanisation classifies the territory (Local Administrative Units (LAU)) into rural areas, towns and suburbs and cities. The rural employment rate of each Member State could then be compared with the employment rates in the other two types of areas or with the employment rate for the whole country. Additionally, employment rates could also be calculated for men and women and even for other age groups.

Unit of measurement

1 – 2 – 3: share  of total population of the same age group

Data source

Eurostat – Labour Force Survey

References/location of the data

National data: table Employment rates by sex, age and degree of urbanisation (%) [lfst_r_ergau]

Regional data: table 

Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 regions (%) [lfst_r_lfe2emprt]

Data collection level

LFS data are collected at LAU level (LAU2), with a sample defined to be significant at NUTS 2 level and at national level.

By degree of urbanisation (rural areas, towns and suburbs, cities)

Frequency

LFS data are collected on a continuous basis and quarterly/annual results are produced. Data by degree of urbanisation are disseminated by Eurostat annually

Delay

4 months

Comments/caveats

[1] In the programming period 2007-2013, the employment rate was calculated for the age group of 15-64 years. In the Europe 2020 strategy, reaching an employment rate of 75% of the population aged 20-64 years is one of the five headline targets to be achieved; however, in rural areas the employment of people below 20 is also an important indicator. Thus it is proposed to keep both age groups, which is also Eurostat's approach.