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Who is hiring?
The EU labour market remains resilient, with employment rising and labour slack holding steady.
Employment across the EU is rising, stability prevails in the labour market, and several member states are making remarkable progress in reducing both slack and unemployment.
In Q2 2025, employment in the EU reached a record 198 million people, with the employment rate for 20–64-year-olds climbing to 76.2%, up from 76.1% in Q1.
This growth reflects the EU’s capacity to generate jobs despite economic challenges.
At the same time, overall labour market slack remained stable at 10.9% of the extended labour force, showing no significant rise in unmet demand for work.
While unemployment edged up slightly to 5.8%, this was balanced by improvements in several member states.
Estonia and Slovenia, for example, recorded sharp declines in unemployment, highlighting the strength of certain national labour markets.
Importantly, labour slack decreased in 11 countries, with Latvia (-1.0 pp) and Estonia (-0.8 pp) leading the way.
Employment growth was also broad-based, with notable gains in Latvia (+1.3 pp), Estonia (+0.8 pp), and Belgium (+0.7 pp).
While some countries, including Italy and Austria, experienced higher unemployment, the overall picture is one of robust job creation, stable slack, and regional resilience.
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The global labour market in late 2025 is at once strong, uneven, and rapidly transforming.
Unemployment remains historically low in much of the world — with the OECD averaging just 4.9% — yet beneath the surface, a more complex picture emerges.
Some countries, like Mexico (2.6%) and Japan (2.5%), boast ultra-low jobless rates, while others, such as South Africa (32.9%), continue to grapple with deep employment crises.
Wage growth is equally divergent: the UK faces slowing hiring but 5% annual pay rises, while Japan endures six straight months of real wage declines despite full employment.
Emerging markets show resilience: Brazil hit record-high wages with unemployment at its lowest since 2012 (5.8%), and the US maintains a steady 4.2% unemployment rate, even as wage growth cools.
But numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. According to the World Economic Forum, five megatrends are reshaping work worldwide:
Demographics: Ageing societies face shortages while younger populations flood labour markets elsewhere.
Technology & AI: Automation is disrupting jobs while driving demand for digital and cybersecurity skills.
Economic uncertainty: High living costs and slow growth demand flexibility from both employers and workers.
Green transition: Climate goals are creating demand for new technical and environmental roles.
Geoeconomics: Shifting supply chains and trade policies elevate resilience and security as priorities.
Participation rates reveal another hidden challenge. In the US, the labour force participation rate has slipped to 62.2%, squeezed by retirements and demographic shifts.
By contrast, New Zealand maintains a higher 70.5%, though even there, participation is edging down.
A low unemployment rate paired with weak participation means a shrinking talent pool and worsening skills shortages.
For employers, this means competing harder for talent and adapting to workers’ demand for flexibility.
For policymakers, it highlights an urgent need to bring sidelined groups — women, youth, older workers — back into the labour market to unlock economic potential.
The bottom line: The world’s labour markets are resilient but uneven, and the race is on to adapt to seismic shifts in demographics, technology, and sustainability.
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Top 10 Multinationals Hiring Right Now:
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=EU_labour_market_-_quarterly_statistics
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/09/global-labour-market-unemployment-wages/
Top HR and work-related articles
PM may scrap visa fees for top talent.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering abolishing visa fees for top global scientists, academics, and digital experts, a move designed to attract world-class talent and drive UK economic growth.
