Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in European Union 28
European Union 28: Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 8,505 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Potential labour force in European Union 28, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for potential labour force in European Union 28 is 8,505, measured in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in European Union 28 peaked at 11,274 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 8,476, in 2023.
That places European Union 28 41st out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in European Union 28, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 8,972 | — |
| 2005 | 9,263 | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 9,134 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 9,024 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 8,920 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 9,362 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 9,857 | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 10,246 | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 10,595 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 10,873 | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 11,274 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 10,999 | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 10,650 | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 9,910 | -6.9% |
| 2018 | 9,370 | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 8,822 | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 10,935 | +24.0% |
| 2021 | 10,283 | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 8,904 | -13.4% |
| 2023 | 8,476 | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 8,532 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 8,622 | +1.0% |
| 2026 | 8,572 | -0.6% |
| 2027 | 8,505 | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9,112 | 8,920 | 9,362 | 6 |
| 2010s | 10,260 | 8,822 | 11,274 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,104 | 8,476 | 10,935 | 8 |
More work & labour data for European Union 28
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 254,923 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 57.21 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 190,645 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.68 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.16 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 121,951 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 82,196 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.96 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.8736 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.3826 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in European Union 28?
- Potential labour force in European Union 28 was 8,505 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in European Union 28?
- The highest recorded value was 11,274 in 2014.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in European Union 28?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,476 in 2023.
- How does European Union 28 rank for potential labour force?
- European Union 28 ranks 41st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in European Union 28?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union 28 data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.