Data / Rankings / Labour market slack / EU countries

EU countries by labour market slack

Greece had the highest labour market slack of 27 EU countries in 2017, at 29.7%. Czechia had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 13% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 15.9%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest29.7Greece
Lowest4.2Czechia
Median1327 EU countries
European Union (27)15.9History

Map of EU countries, 2017

Austria: 13 %Belgium: 14.2 %Bulgaria: 12.5 %Cyprus: 21.2 %Czechia: 4.2 %Germany: 7.6 %Denmark: 12.6 %Estonia: 10.9 %Spain: 26.6 %Finland: 21.8 %France: 18.9 %Greece: 29.7 %Croatia: 19.5 %Hungary: 7.2 %Ireland: 14.7 %Italy: 24.4 %Lithuania: 9.9 %Luxembourg: 12.7 %Latvia: 15.1 %Malta: 6.2 %Netherlands: 17 %Poland: 9.3 %Portugal: 16.9 %Romania: 12.2 %Sweden: 14.8 %Slovenia: 12.8 %Slovakia: 10.7 %
  • Under 10
  • 10 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2017. Source: Eurostat, Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2017

Greece: 29.7 %Greece29.7Spain: 26.6 %Spain26.6Italy: 24.4 %Italy24.4Finland: 21.8 %Finland21.8Cyprus: 21.2 %Cyprus21.2Croatia: 19.5 %Croatia19.5France: 18.9 %France18.9Netherlands: 17 %Netherlands17Portugal: 16.9 %Portugal16.9Latvia: 15.1 %Latvia15.1Sweden: 14.8 %Sweden14.8Ireland: 14.7 %Ireland14.7Belgium: 14.2 %Belgium14.2Austria: 13 %Austria13Slovenia: 12.8 %Slovenia12.8Luxembourg: 12.7 %Luxembourg12.7Denmark: 12.6 %Denmark12.6Bulgaria: 12.5 %Bulgaria12.5Romania: 12.2 %Romania12.2Estonia: 10.9 %Estonia10.9Slovakia: 10.7 %Slovakia10.7Lithuania: 9.9 %Lithuania9.9Poland: 9.3 %Poland9.3Germany: 7.6 %Germany7.6Hungary: 7.2 %Hungary7.2Malta: 6.2 %Malta6.2Czechia: 4.2 %Czechia4.2Greece: 29.7 %Greece29.7Spain: 26.6 %Spain26.6Italy: 24.4 %Italy24.4Finland: 21.8 %Finland21.8Cyprus: 21.2 %Cyprus21.2Croatia: 19.5 %Croatia19.5France: 18.9 %France18.9Netherlands: 17 %Netherlands17Portugal: 16.9 %Portugal16.9Latvia: 15.1 %Latvia15.1Sweden: 14.8 %Sweden14.8Ireland: 14.7 %Ireland14.7Belgium: 14.2 %Belgium14.2Austria: 13 %Austria13Slovenia: 12.8 %Slovenia12.8Luxembourg: 12.7 %Luxembourg12.7Denmark: 12.6 %Denmark12.6Bulgaria: 12.5 %Bulgaria12.5Romania: 12.2 %Romania12.2Estonia: 10.9 %Estonia10.9Slovakia: 10.7 %Slovakia10.7Lithuania: 9.9 %Lithuania9.9Poland: 9.3 %Poland9.3Germany: 7.6 %Germany7.6Hungary: 7.2 %Hungary7.2Malta: 6.2 %Malta6.2Czechia: 4.2 %Czechia4.2
%. Source: Eurostat, Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Greece29.7-2.1 pts
2Spain26.6-2.6 pts
3Italy24.4-1.2 pts
4Finland21.8-0.4 pts
5Cyprus21.2-3 pts
6Croatia19.5-3.8 pts
7France18.9-1 pts
8Netherlands17-2.2 pts
9Portugal16.9-3.1 pts
10Latvia15.1-1.3 pts
11Sweden14.8-0.6 pts
12Ireland14.7-0.4 pts
13Belgium Series break14.2+0.2 pts
14Austria13-0.8 pts
15Slovenia12.8-2.5 pts
16Luxembourg12.7-1.5 pts
17Denmark Series break12.6-2.4 pts
18Bulgaria12.5-2.5 pts
19Romania12.2-1.9 pts
20Estonia10.9-1.8 pts
21Slovakia10.7-1.6 pts
22Lithuania9.9-1 pts
23Poland9.3-1.7 pts
24Germany7.6-0.6 pts
25Hungary7.2-1.3 pts
26Malta6.2-1.1 pts
27Czechia4.2-1.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unmet demand for work among people aged 15 to 74: the unemployed, part-time workers who want to work more hours, people available to work but not seeking, and people seeking work but not immediately available, as a percentage of the extended labour force (the labour force plus the last two groups).

Wider than the unemployment rate, which counts only the first group over the labour force. From the EU labour force survey. Eurostat flags series breaks (most in 2021, under the new framework regulation for social statistics); they are stored as status break.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a) (EU countries by labour market slack, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table

MLA 9

Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a), EU countries by labour market slack, 2017. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). EU countries by labour market slack, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a), EU countries by labour market slack, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_labour_2017,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi\_sla\_a): EU countries by labour market slack, 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi\_sla\_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi\_sla\_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a): EU countries by labour market slack, 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labour-market-slack/eu-countries?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_sla_a/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest labour market slack?

Greece, with 29.7% in 2017, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest labour market slack?

Czechia, with 4.2% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Labour market slack as a percentage of the extended labour force, 15 to 74 years (lfsi_sla_a). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

EU countries: more rankings