Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2025

This edition of the annual Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) review examines 51 million EU residents (aged 20-64) out of employment and highlights how including groups that are under-represented in the labour market can help offset the impacts of demographic change on Europe’s workforce.

The review informs that the EU is on track to achieve its 2030 target of 78% employment rate and is current unemployment rate is at a historic low of 5.9%. When it comes to NEETs the review notes that the total societal cost of NEETs was estimated at around EUR 99.6 billion, corresponding to 0.62% of Europe’s GDP.