OREANDA-NEWS. For the first time since the financial crisis, the employment rate of the population aged 20 to 64 in the European Union (EU) increased in 2014, reaching 69.2% but not yet its 2008 peak (70.3%). A similar pattern can be observed for men: their employment rate has hit 75.0% in 2014, up compared with 2013 but still below its 2008 level. In contrast, the employment rate of women has continuously risen since 2010 to 63.5% in 2014, above its previous 2008 peak of 62.8%. The Europe 2020 strategy target is to reach a total employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 of at least 75% in the EU by 2020. This objective has been translated into national targets in order to reflect the situation and possibilities of each Member State to contribute to the common goal.

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