WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?
Regulation (EU) 2025/941 creates a common legal framework for developing, producing and disseminating European Union (EU) labour market statistics on businesses.
KEY POINTS
Establishing a unified framework for EU labour market statistics on businesses
The regulation introduces a common legal basis to ensure that labour market statistics on businesses in the EU are collected, compiled and shared in a consistent and comparable way. It replaces three earlier legal acts with a single harmonised system.
- It applies from 1 January 2026 and repeals:
- EU Member States must continue to fulfil obligations under the repealed acts for data concerning earlier reference periods.
Scope and statistical coverage
The regulation defines the statistical units and populations for each topic to ensure harmonised, representative and reliable labour market data.
- Statistics are compiled on enterprises, local units (workplaces) and employees.
- The statistical population varies by topic, based on activity sectors (NACE – general industrial classification of economic activities within the European Union), the number of employees and enterprise characteristics.
- Microdata are required only for the structure of earnings; aggregated data are used for all other topics.
Mandatory data domains and topics
The regulation sets out the required data domains and topics, their periodicity and their deadlines, including provisions for future updates.
- Data must be provided for:
- the structure of earnings;
- the gender pay gap;
- the structure of labour costs;
- the labour cost index (including early estimates);
- job vacancies (including early estimates).
- Detailed data requirements, reference periods and transmission deadlines are laid down in the Annex.
- The European Commission may update or expand these topics via delegated acts adopted at least 18 months in advance.
- Member States must transmit pre-checked data and metadata using a standardised format and entry point defined by Eurostat.
Data sources and collection methods
Member States must ensure data quality using a flexible but robust approach to sources and methods:
- statistical surveys, administrative data, private data holders and other sources may be used, individually or in combination;
- surveys must use representative samples drawn from national statistical business registers under Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 (see summary);
- innovative sources (e.g. web scraping) are encouraged when they reduce burdens and meet quality requirements;
- requests for personal data from private holders must correspond to defined domains and topics only.
Quarterly early estimates for key indicators
To improve timeliness, large Member States must provide early estimates of selected indicators every quarter:
- this applies to Member States for which the employees exceed 3 % of the total EU (or euro-area) workforce;
- early estimates are required for the labour cost index and job vacancies;
- obligations begin the year after notification from Eurostat, or two years later for new entrants.
Quality assurance and reporting obligations
The regulation sets binding quality standards and reporting rules to ensure the reliability and comparability of statistics:
- Member States must meet the quality criteria in Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 (see summary);
- they must transmit quality reports for each topic and update Eurostat about any relevant information or change that would influence the quality of the data;
- Eurostat assesses data quality and publishes findings with recommendations.
Feasibility and pilot studies
To improve data collection and reduce burdens, the Commission and Member States may conduct feasibility or pilot studies1:
- studies may address reducing burdens on respondents, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises and microenterprises, social enterprises and new methods to respond to user needs;
- participation is voluntary, but studies must be representative at the EU level;
- Eurostat publishes the results in cooperation with stakeholders.
Financial support from the EU budget
The regulation enables EU financial support for national authorities for implementation and innovation:
Protection of EU financial interests
The regulation includes robust monitoring to safeguard EU funds against fraud and irregularities:
Temporary derogations for Member States
Time-limited derogations are possible where major changes are required in national systems:
- Derogations are granted for up to:
- one year for quarterly data,
- two years for annual data,
- four years for multiannual data;
- Requests must be justified and submitted within three months of the entry into force of this regulation or delegated or implementing acts;
- A one-year extension is possible, subject to review.
Delegated and implementing powers of the Commission
The Commission may adopt delegated acts and implementing acts to adapt technical elements of the regulation:
- Delegated powers last five years from 9 June 2025 and may be extended;
- The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union may object to any delegated act within three months (extendable to six);
- The Commission must consult Member State experts and notify both institutions.
Committee governance and oversight
Implementation is supported by the European Statistical System Committee:
- Implementing acts are adopted following the procedure in Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 (see summary).
The regulation amends Council Regulations (EC) No 530/1999, No 450/2003 and No 453/2008.
FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?
This regulation applies from 1 January 2026.
BACKGROUND
For further information, see:
KEY TERMS
-
Feasibility and pilot studies. Preparatory studies conducted by the Commission (Eurostat) and national statistical authorities to test new statistical methods or data sources, improve quality or reduce the reporting burden.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Regulation (EU) 2025/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2025 on European Union labour market statistics on businesses, repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 and Regulations (EC) No 450/2003 and No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L, 2025/941, 20.5.2025).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (OJ L 327, 17.12.2019, pp. 1–35).
Successive amendments to Regulation 2019/2152/EU have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the European Union (OJ L 174, 26.6.2013, pp. 1–727).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, pp. 13–18).
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, pp. 164–173).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on quarterly statistics on Community job vacancies (OJ L 145, 4.6.2008, pp. 234–237).
Regulation (EC) No 450/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 February 2003 concerning the labour cost index (OJ L 69, 13.3.2003, pp. 1–5).
See consolidated version.
Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 of 9 March 1999 concerning structural statistics on earnings and on labour costs (OJ L 63, 12.3.1999, pp. 6–10).
See consolidated version.
