07 April 2011

Shares of vulnerable employment, the proportion of own-account workers and contributing family members in total employment, in the European Union range from around 6 per cent in, for example, Denmark and Estonia to around 30 per cent in Romania and Greece. In the other countries of the UNECE region, the share of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment varies widely. Levels in the Russian Federation are very low but those in South-eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia are significantly higher. In Georgia and Albania they even comprise of more than half of all people employed.

In countries with high levels, shares tend to be higher among women than among men while in countries with low levels, men have higher relative shares. The overrepresentation of women is highest in Turkey while the reverse is most pronounced in Montenegro, Estonia and Denmark.

Full and productive employment and decent work for all is an essential target linked to the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. The share of these workers in total employment is therefore an important indicator to measure progress.

Note: Figures for Tajikistan refer to 2004, Estonia and Georgia to 2005, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine to 2006 and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYR of Macedonia) to 2007.

Source: UNECE Statistical Database, Eurostat and national statistics.