In 1997 the EU unemployment rate was 10,7 % of the labour force, i.e. 18 million people had no jobs. The level of employment (number of persons in employment divided by the number of persons of working age) has fallen from 67 % in 1961 to 60 %; the current figure for the US and Japan is 74 %. If the employment rate in the EU is to be increased to 67 % or 72 % the EU economy will have to create a total of 22 million jobs or 34 millions jobs respectively.
