Quarterly statistics on job vacancies in EU countries

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 453/2008 on quarterly statistics on job vacancies in the EU

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It lays down the requirements for the regular quarterly production of statistics on job vacancies* in the European Union (EU).
These quarterly data are intended for short-term business cycle analysis (i.e. monitoring the fluctuations in business activity in an economy over a period of time).

KEY POINTS

Since 2010, each EU country must submit to the European Commission (Eurostat) data on job vacancies for businesses with 1 employee or more.
EU countries must transmit these data broken down by economic activity, within 70 days from the end of the quarter concerned.

Scope

The data cover all economic activities defined by the common classification system for economic activities in the EU’s NACE* in force, except for the activities of households as employers and the activities of overseas organisations and bodies.
Although covering agriculture, forestryand fishing activities , as defined by the NACE in force, is optional, EU countries wishing to provide data for those sectors must do so in accordance with this regulation.
Owing to the growing importance of personal care services (residential care activities and social work activities without accommodation) for job creation, EU countries are also requested to transmit, on an optional basis, data on job vacancies in these areas. The data must be broken down by economic activity in accordance with the NACE in force at section level.
Data are collected in the EU countries, Norway, Switzerland and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Reference dates and specifications

EU countries must compile the quarterly data with reference to specific reference dates. These are determined by the European Statistical System Committee, made up of national experts, which assists and is chaired by the European Commission.
Countries must also provide data on occupied posts in order to standardise job vacancy data for comparative purposes. They must apply seasonal adjustments to the quarterly job vacancy data.

Data transmission

EU countries must transmit data to Eurostat in a format and within deadlines determined by the European Statistical System Committee.

Quality assessment

On receipt of the data from EU countries, Eurostat checks them for completeness and consistency.

Financing

EU countries were able to receive EU funding for the first three years of data collection as a contribution to the cost of the work involved.

Reports

Every 3 years, the Commission submits a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the regulation. This assesses the quality of the statistics provided by EU countries and that of European aggregates, as well as identifying potential areas for improvement.

Implementing acts

Regulation (EC) No 1062/2008 sets out the procedures for seasonal adjustment of data and for quality reports.
Regulation (EC) No 19/2009 defines a job vacancy, the reference dates for data collection, data transmission specifications and feasibility studies.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 24 June 2008.

BACKGROUND

EU policies in the area of job vacancies aim to improve the functioning of the labour market by trying to more closely match supply and demand. EURES, the European job mobility portal, seeks to make it easier to match jobseekers and employers.

For more information, see:

‘Job vacancy statistics’ on Eurostat's website

* KEY TERMS

Vacancy: a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant.

NACE classification: from the French Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne (the Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community). Various versions have been developed since 1970.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on quarterly statistics on Community job vacancies (OJ L 145, 4.6.2008, pp. 234–237)