Trade - Facts and figures

Source: Eurostat, UNCTAD

Between 1995 and 2011, the EU jobs supported by exports to the rest of the world increased by 67% to reach 31.1 million. This amounted to an additional 12.5 million jobs supported by exports since 1995. In 2011 on average each billion euros of EU exports supported.

The share of EU employment supported by sales of goods and services to the rest of the world over total employment increased from 9% in 1995 to 14% in 2011. In 2011 one in seven EU jobs was supported either directly or indirectly by exports to the rest of the world.

In 2011, the exports to the rest of the world from the manufacturing sector still supported the majority of jobs linked to exports (61%) across the EU. The “machinery, transport equipment” industry supported 9.6 million jobs, the “other non-metallic and basic metals” industry 2.9 million and the “chemicals” sector around 2 million.

However, the contribution of the exports of services has been increasing: in 2011 they were responsible for 36% of the EU employment supported by exports (up from 26% in 1995). The extra-EU exports of the “transport, trade and business services” industry supported almost 10 million jobs across the EU.

Sources: Eurostat, UNCTAD