Employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union

European Union: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 4.3% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
4.3%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
14th
of 47 groups
All-time high
4.7%
in 2006
All-time low
4.1%
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union, 1991–2025

0123451991200820251991: 4.21992: 4.31993: 4.31994: 4.41995: 4.41996: 4.51997: 4.51998: 4.51999: 4.52000: 4.52001: 4.52002: 4.52003: 4.52004: 4.62005: 4.62006: 4.72007: 4.62008: 4.62009: 4.62010: 4.62011: 4.62012: 4.52013: 4.52014: 4.42015: 4.42016: 4.42017: 4.32018: 4.32019: 4.32020: 4.12021: 4.32022: 4.32023: 4.32024: 4.32025: 4.3

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

European Union recorded 4.3% for employers, total (% of total employment) in 2025.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union peaked at 4.7% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 2020.

European Union ranks 14th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union, year by year

Annual values for Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in European Union, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 4.2%
1992 4.3% +2.2%
1993 4.3% +0.2%
1994 4.4% +2.4%
1995 4.4% +0.4%
1996 4.5% +0.9%
1997 4.5% +0.5%
1998 4.5% +0.2%
1999 4.5% -0.5%
2000 4.5% +0.1%
2001 4.5% +0.4%
2002 4.5% -0.5%
2003 4.5% +1.0%
2004 4.6% +1.9%
2005 4.6% -0.0%
2006 4.7% +1.1%
2007 4.6% -0.9%
2008 4.6% +0.4%
2009 4.6% -0.7%
2010 4.6% -0.8%
2011 4.6% -0.3%
2012 4.5% -0.5%
2013 4.5% -1.1%
2014 4.4% -0.8%
2015 4.4% -0.6%
2016 4.4% -1.3%
2017 4.3% -0.9%
2018 4.3% -0.6%
2019 4.3% -0.3%
2020 4.1% -3.3%
2021 4.3% +4.9%
2022 4.3% -0.4%
2023 4.3% -1.2%
2024 4.3% -0.1%
2025 4.3% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.4% 4.2% 4.5% 9
2000s 4.6% 4.5% 4.7% 10
2010s 4.4% 4.3% 4.6% 10
2020s 4.3% 4.1% 4.3% 6

Countries ranked near European Union

  1. 11 Papua New Guinea 7.5% compare
  2. 12 Ghana 7.5% compare
  3. 13 Greece 7.4% compare
  4. 14 Switzerland 7.3% compare
  5. 15 Yemen 7.1% compare
  6. 16 Tunisia 7.0% compare
  7. 17 Australia 7.0% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for European Union

All data for European Union →

Frequently asked questions

What is employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union?
Employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union was 4.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in European Union?
The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2006.
What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in European Union?
The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 2020.
How does European Union rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
European Union ranks 14th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in European Union?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this European Union data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employers, total (% of total employment) in European Union. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employers-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).