The job vacancy rate in the EU28 stood at 2.3% in the third quarter of 2019, stable compared with the previous quarter and up from 2.2% in the third quarter of 2018, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The euro area unemployment rate was 2.2% in the third quarter of 2019, down from 2.3% in the previous quarter and up from 2.1% in the third quarter of 2018

In the euro area, the job vacancy rate in the third quarter of 2019 was 1.9% in industry and construction, and 2.5% in services. In the EU28, the rate was 2.0% in industry and construction, and 2.5% in services.

Among the member states for which comparable data are available, the highest job vacancy rates in the third quarter of 2019 were recorded in Czechia (6.2%), Belgium (3.4%), Germany and the Netherlands (both 3.2%).

In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Greece (0.7%, data from the second quarter of 2019), Ireland and Bulgaria (both 0.8%) and Spain (0.9%).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the job vacancy rate in the third quarter of 2019 rose in nine Member States, remained stable in Denmark, Greece (between the second quarters of 2018 and 2019), Italy, Austria, and Portugal, but fell in fourteen Member States.

The largest increase was seen in Latvia (+0.6) while the largest decrease was registered in Slovenia (-0.4 pp).

Meanwhile, hourly labour costs rose by 2.6% in the euro area and by 3.1% in the EU28 in the third quarter of 2019, compared with the same quarter of the previous year.

The two main components of labour costs are wages & salaries and non-wage costs.

The highest annual increase in hourly labour costs for the whole economy was registered in Romania (+13.2%).