Analytics, Economics, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Modern EU
International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Friday, 29.03.2024, 07:48
Recent EU issues for decision-makers, businesses and developers
Before the crisis in 2009, both business profit and
investment rate have been higher than presently: thus, in 2009,
investment rate has been at the level of 24%, compared to presently 23;while
business profit reduced from about 43% to almost 40%.
See more in: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9485323/2-11012019-BP-EN.pdf/3477d006-96b5-4386-9101-8fa4390d8768
The household
saving rate in the euro area was 12.3% at the end of 2018, compared
with about 15% in 2009. The household investment rate in the euro area was
about 9% at the end of 2018, compared to about 12% in 2008.
See more in: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9485308/2-11012019-AP-EN.pdf/f7424a68-e853-4b20-87e6-aeb8030b1e6e.
From Eurostat/11.01.2019.
Compared with the pre-crisis period, industrial
production in the EU increased by about 10%. In the euro area in 2018,
the production of capital goods fell by 2.3%, durable consumer goods by 1.7%,
intermediate goods by 1.2%, non-durable consumer goods by 1.0% and energy by
0.6%.
In the EU, the production of capital goods fell by 1.6%,
intermediate goods by 1.1%, durable consumer goods by 1.0%, non-durable
consumer goods by 0.6% and energy by 0.5%.
Among the EU states, the largest decreases in
industrial production were observed in Ireland (-7.5%), Portugal (-2.5%),
Germany and Lithuania (both -1.9%).The highest increases were registered
in Estonia (+4.5%), Greece (+3.1%) and Malta (+2.6%).
In the euro area in 2018, compared with 2017, the production
of energy fell by 5.2%, capital goods by 4.5%, durable consumer goods by 3.5%,
intermediate goods by 3.0% and non-durable consumer goods by 0.1%.
More in: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9490436/4-14012019-AP-EN.pdf/9d606acd-97bc-4a5b-8c4c-a270888aab0a. Eurostat/11.01.2019.
On EU trade in goods see: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/international-trade-in-goods/overview.
Average job vacancy rate in the 19-states' euro area
was about 2% at the end of 2018; the same as in the EU-28. Among the EU states,
the highest job vacancy rates in 2018 were recorded in Czechia (5.9%), Belgium
(3.6%), Germany, the Netherlands and Austria (all 3.0%).
In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Greece
(0.6%), Spain (0.8%) and Bulgaria (0.9%). Job vacancy rate in 2018 rose in
twenty two EU states, remained stable in Belgium, Ireland, Spain and Italy, but
fell in Estonia (-0.4%) and Lithuania (-0.1 percentage points). The largest
increases were registered in Czechia (+1.8 pp), Cyprus (+0.7 pp), Finland (+0.6
pp), Latvia and the Netherlands (both +0.5 pp).
The job vacancy rate (JVR) measures the proportion of total
posts that are vacant, expressed as a percentage: JVR = (number of job
vacancies) / (number of occupied posts + number of job vacancies). A job
vacancy is defined as a paid post (newly created, unoccupied or about to become
vacant) for which the employer is taking active steps to find a suitable
candidate from outside the enterprise concerned and is prepared to take more
steps and which the employer intends to fill either immediately or in the near
future. Under this definition, a job vacancy should be open to candidates from
outside an enterprise. However, this does not exclude the possibility of the
employer recruiting an internal candidate for the post. A vacant post that is
open only to internal candidates should not be treated as a job vacancy. An
occupied post is a paid post within an organisation to which an employee has
been assigned.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9445315/3-14122018-AP-EN.pdf/6ae79182-3ffb-4ecc-b8ea-1e5fcb901ac9
-Eurostat/14.xii.2018
Social protection expenditure in the EU stood at
about 28% of GDP in 2016, (last available figures). The two main sources of
funding of social protection were social contributions, making up 55% of total
receipts, and general government contributions from taxes at 40%.
The EU average continued to mask major disparities among the
states: social protection expenditure represented at least 30% of GDP in France
(34%), Finland and Denmark (both 32%) as well as in Austria, Belgium, Italy,
Sweden and the Netherlands (all 30%).
In contrast, social protection expenditure stood below 20%
of GDP in Romania, Latvia and Lithuania (all 15%), Ireland (16%), Estonia and
Malta (both 17%), Bulgaria and Slovakia (both 18%) as well as Czechia, Cyprus
and Hungary (all 19%).
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9443901/3-12122018-BP-EN.pdf/b6764f92-e03e-4535-b904-1fdf2c2d4568-
Eurostat-12.xii.2018.
Trade in the EU euro area: export of goods to the
rest of the world by the end of 2018 was over €203 billion, an increase of
about 2% compared with 2017. Imports from the rest of the world stood at about
€184 billion, a rise of 4.7% compared with 2017. As a result, the euro area recorded a €19.0
bn surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the world in 2018, compared with
+ €23.4 bn in 2017. Intra-euro area trade rose to €170.5 bn in 2018, up by 1.5%
compared with 2017. Compared to pre-crisis period, the import/export trade
balance’s growth increased by almost 80 %.
Estonian trade, €bn, 2018/Intra EU+Extra EU
Export/ intra EU/extra EU
Total import/ intra EU/extra EU
Total trade balance/ intra/extra
13,3 9 4 15,0 11,5 3,5 -1,7 -2,5/ 0,8
Latvian trade, €bn, 2018/Intra EU+ Extra EU
Export/ intra EU/extra EU
Total import/ intra EU/extra EU
Total trade balance/ intra/extra
12,2 8,2 4 15,0 11,2 3,8 -2,9 -3,1 /-0,5
Lithuanian trade, €bn, 2018/ Intra EU+Extra EU
Export/ intraEU/extra EU
Total import/ intra EU/extra EU
Total trade balance/ intra/extra
26,1 15,4 10,7 28,6 19,4 9,2 -2,6 -4,1 / 1,5
Among EU-28, the negative trade balance (in €bn)
is registered in 15 states with the biggest in the UK (-144 bn), France (-
about 74 bn), Spain (-32bn), Greece (-20bn) and Portugal (-15,5 bn). Biggest positive
trade balance is registered in 4 member states: Germany + 216,5 bn, the
Netherlands + 60,4, Ireland + 45,8 bn and Italy + 36,1 bn. The rest seven
states are having quite small but positive trade balance.
Source: Eurostat
statistics in: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9497430/6-15012019-AP-EN.pdf/2e5aed34-bee4-43de-ae74-84941678b9f1