Labour market statistics on businesses
PURPOSE: to improve the collection of labour market statistics on businesses at EU level.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2025/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union labour market statistics on businesses, repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 and Regulations (EC) No 450/2003 and (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (
CONTENT: accurate, timely, reliable and comparable labour market statistics on businesses in the Union are required for the design, implementation and evaluation of Union policies, in particular those addressing economic, social and territorial cohesion and the European employment strategy, and in the context of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). Those statistics are also relevant in the context of the European Semester, the EPSR action plan and the social economy action plan.
This Regulation establishes a common legal framework for the development, production and dissemination of labour market statistics on businesses in the Union. The new rules adopted update existing legislation with a view to improving the comparability of labour market statistics relating to businesses and increasing the coverage of the economy.
Data requirements
Labour market statistics on businesses will cover the following domains and topics:
(a) earnings: (i) structure of earnings; (ii) gender pay gap;
(b) labour costs: (i) structure of labour costs; (ii) labour cost index;
(c) labour demand: (i) job vacancies.
A definition of the ‘gender pay gap’ is introduced in the text meaning the difference in average gross hourly earnings of male and female employees expressed as a percentage of the average gross hourly earnings of the male employees.
For each topic, the detailed topics, as well as their periodicity, reference periods, including the first reference period, and deadlines for transmission of the corresponding data are given in the annex.
The Commission may adopt delegated acts to amend the list of detailed topics set out in the Annex. When exercising the power to adopt delegated acts, the Commission must ensure that: (a) the delegated acts do not impose a significant additional burden or cost on Member States or respondents; (b) pilot or feasibility studies are carried out and their results are duly assessed and taken into account before the adoption of any delegated act.
Access to data
In order to improve the efficiency of the statistical production processes of labour market statistics and to reduce the statistical burden on respondents, national statistical authorities should have the right to access and use, promptly and free of charge, all national administrative data, privately held data and other sources, and to integrate those data with statistics, to the extent necessary for the development, production and dissemination of European Union labour market statistics on businesses.
Privately held data refers to the vast amount of data held by private data holders obtained as a result of their activity, which could be used by statistical authorities to produce official statistics. It might include data held by civil society organisations, among others.
Quality requirements and quality reporting
Member States will (i) take the necessary measures to ensure the quality of the data and metadata transmitted; (ii) ensure that the data produced under the Regulation provide a full coverage of statistical units and population and provide accurate estimates of them.
Pilot and feasibility studies
In order to improve labour market statistics on businesses or to limit the administrative and financial burden on enterprises, in particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, the Commission (Eurostat) may launch pilot and feasibility studies, for example to improve the quality and comparability of data.
Funding
As regards the implementation of the Regulation, a financial contribution from the Single Market Programme will be made available to national statistical institutes and other national authorities. A financial contribution from the general budget of the Union may also be made available.
Exceptions
The Commission may, by means of implementing acts, grant duly justified derogations to a Member State, for a maximum period of one year for data with a quarterly periodicity, two years for data with an annual periodicity and four years for data with a multiannual periodicity.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9.6.2025.
APPLICATION: from 1.1.2026.