Annual Intra-EU Labour Mobility Report shows that mobility within the EU increased in 2019, though at a slower pace

The Commission published today the Annual Report on Intra-EU Labour Mobility – 2020. It identifies trends in free movement of workers and their family members, based on the latest available data (2019/2018). The report shows that mobility in the EU continued to grow in 2019, but at a slower pace compared to previous years. In 2019, 17.9 million Europeans lived in another EU country compared to 17.6 million in the previous year. The countries of destination for about half of working-age EU-movers (46%) were Germany and the UK, with a further 28% residing in France, Italy and Spain. Romania, Poland, Italy, Portugal and Bulgaria remained the top five countries of origin. The main sectors of activity of EU-movers in 2019 were manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade. The share of highly-skilled persons who move to another EU country increased over time: in 2019, one in three (34%) EU-28 movers was highly-skilled, compared to one in four in 2008. Looking at the age groups of EU-movers, the report shows that they are most likely to move at the beginning of their careers. Among those who strongly intend to move, 75% are below 35 years old. Return mobility is also very significant: for every three persons who leave, two return to their country of origin. Since this report refers to data from the reference period 2018-2019, mobility to and from the UK is included. Please consult the Annual Report on Intra-EU Labour Mobility – 2020 for more details. The main findings of the report as well as an overview infographic can be found in the accompanying Labour mobility at a glance paper.