Core European Industries with Employment Decrease

Recent data reveals a significant decline in employment across several major Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) groups in the Europe, highlighting structural shifts in key industries. This trend underscores the growing impact of automation, global competition, and changing consumer behavior on traditional sectors.

Top 10 Industries by Employment Decrease

Employment trends across major Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) divisions in Europe show notable declines between 2022 and 2024, reflecting both structural shifts in the global economy and sector-specific challenges.The following table summarizes employment decreases across selected industries:

• 95: Administration of Environmental Quality and Housing Programs

This sector experienced the largest relative decline in employment at -14.1%. The drop is partly explained by restructuring and reallocation of jobs as governments and municipalities adapt to sustainability targets. Traditional administrative roles are shrinking, while investment is moving toward renewable energy management, green infrastructure, and technology-driven monitoring systems. This suggests not only job losses but also a redirection of skills toward emerging “green economy” occupations.

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• 01: Agricultural Production Crops

Employment in agricultural crop production declined by -11.1%, reflecting long-term global trends of mechanization and efficiency gains in farming. The introduction of advanced machinery, precision agriculture, and biotechnology has significantly reduced reliance on manual labor. Additionally, shifting global demand and climate challenges are altering crop patterns, pushing workers to transition toward new skills in sustainable farming and agri-tech. While the sector is shrinking in terms of headcount, productivity per worker is rising.

• 14: Mining and Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals, Except Fuels

Employment in non-fuel mining and quarrying decreased by -8.1% between 2022 and 2024. This is largely due to increased automation, fluctuating commodity markets, and the growing shift toward green energy, which reduces demand for certain materials. While demand for critical minerals used in renewable technologies (e.g., lithium, rare earths) is rising, traditional quarrying activities face long-term pressure. Employment is increasingly concentrated in higher-skilled technical and engineering roles, while manual extraction jobs continue to decline.

Europe employment is decreasing across major industry groups, driven by economic shifts and technological disruption.

Average Employment Decrease per Company

Looking beyond total job losses, it is useful to consider the average employment decrease per company. This perspective highlights how heavily individual firms in different industries were affected. 

United States Postal Service (SIC 43)  recorded the highest average decline of -5.9 jobs per company, reflecting large-scale restructuring and efficiency improvements within a relatively small number of organizations.

Administration of Environmental Quality and Housing Programs (SIC 95) followed with an average decline of -5.0 jobs per company, indicating targeted staff reductions or reallocation in public-sector agencies.

Other public service-related industries, such as Justice, Public Order, and Safety (SIC 92) and Insurance Carriers (SIC 63), also recorded notable decreases of -4.2 and -4.0 jobs per company, respectively.

In contrast, highly fragmented industries with a large number of smaller businesses—such as Agricultural Production Crops (SIC 01), Apparel And Other Finished Products Made From Fabrics And Similar Materials (SIC 23), Leather And Leather Products (SIC 31), and Printing, Publishing, And Allied Industries (SIC 27) — saw relatively minor average declines (between -0.4 and -0.8 jobs per company). This suggests that while overall employment losses were significant, the impact was spread across a wide base of companies, cushioning the average per-firm effect.

Sectors like Mining And Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals, Except Fuels (SIC 14) and Tobacco Products (SIC 21) occupy a middle ground, with average decreases of -1.1 and -3.3 jobs per company, respectively—indicating sharper contractions than in agriculture or apparel, but less severe than in public administration and postal services.

Overall, the data highlights that public-sector and large-scale service industries faced the heaviest per-company declines, while fragmented, labor-intensive industries experienced more gradual reductions, spread thinly across many firms.

Largest Employment Decreases by Industries and Countries

Employment trends across industries reveal significant differences between countries, with some experiencing dramatic declines in specific sectors.

• 95: Administration of Environmental Quality and Housing Programs

The steepest decline occurred in Latvia (-73%), indicating major restructuring and a shift of jobs outside this sector. The number of companies fell sharply - from 18 companies with 146 employees in 2022 to only 5 companies with 39 employees in 2024. A significant drop was also recorded in the Russian Federation (-43%), which currently has 1,119 companies employing 7,595 people in this sector, likely influenced by a combination of economic and geopolitical factors. In Germany (-18%), with 495 companies and 38,696 employees, the decrease was more moderate but still reflects a trend of downsizing in environmental and housing administration.

• 01: Agricultural Production Crops

Agricultural crop production shows some of the sharpest workforce reductions in Serbia (-54%), number of companies operating in this sector decreased from 3,381 companies with 48,459 employees in 2022 to 3,162 companies with 22,082 employees in 2024, experienced dramatic job losses, largely linked to modernization, mechanization, and workforce migration from rural areas. Croatia (-32%), with 2,307 companies employing 15,174 people, and Estonia (-32%), with 3,835 companies employing 12,919 people, reported a less severe, though still substantial, decline reflecting structural changes in agriculture.

• 14: Mining and Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals (Except Fuels)

The mining industry also shows significant regional variation. The largest employment decrease was observed in the United Kingdom (-56%), with 3,223 companies employing 49,504 people, partly due to Anglo American PLC changing its primary SIC division. Greece (-45%), which currently has 445 companies with 4,129 employees , experienced a contraction driven by the decline of traditional mining activities and rising environmental standards. In Lithuania (-30%), with 189 companies employing 2,397 people, the decrease was smaller in scale but still significant within the context of its smaller labor market.

Cross-Division Comparison in Europe

While all three sectors registered notable declines, the underlying drivers differ significantly:

European Companies Experiencing Employment Decreases

Anglo American PLC - United Kingdom (SIC 14)

Anglo American PLC, one of the world’s largest mining companies headquartered in London, reported a significant workforce decline from approximately 105,000 employees in 2022 to 55,542 in 2024 — a reduction of nearly 47.1%.
The decline in workforce numbers can be attributed to several factors:

• Strategic Restructuring: The company began a major simplification program, divesting or spinning off non-core assets such as coal, nickel, and diamond operations (including De Beers).
• Falling Commodity Prices: Declining prices for platinum group metals and other key resources prompted large-scale job cuts, particularly in Anglo American Platinum.
• Cost-Control Measures: In response to rising operational costs and investor pressure, Anglo American implemented global hiring freezes and workforce reductions to improve efficiency.
• Shift Toward Sustainable Mining: The company’s reorientation toward metals critical to the green transition, such as copper, also led to reallocation of resources and staff reductions in traditional mining divisions.

Pearson PLC – United Kingdom (SIC 27)

Pearson PLC, a London-based global education and publishing company, reduced its workforce to 17,024 in 2024, down from 20,438 employees in 2022 – a 16.7% decrease.
Reasons behind this trend include:

• Digital Transformation: A shift away from traditional print publishing toward online learning platforms reduced labor needs.
• Automation: Increased reliance on digital tools and automated processes streamlined operations.
• Cost Optimization: Strategic restructuring efforts were made to remain competitive in a rapidly changing education sector.

Royal Mail Group Limited – United Kingdom (SIC 43)

Royal Mail Group Limited, a prominent British postal and courier company, employed approximately 130,031 individuals as of late 2024. This figure represents a decline from previous years, with the workforce peaking at over 140,035 employees in 2022. Experienced a 7.14% workforce decline from 2022 to 2024.

The reduction in staff numbers can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Industrial Action: In 2022, Royal Mail faced significant disruptions due to strikes by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), leading to operational challenges and financial losses.
• Declining Parcel Volumes: The company reported a decrease in parcel volumes, partly due to changing consumer behaviors and increased competition from other delivery services.
• Restructuring Efforts: To address financial pressures, Royal Mail announced plans to cut up to 10,000 roles, including frontline positions and temporary staff, aiming to streamline operations and reduce costs.

The workforce trends observed across Pearson PLC, Royal Mail Group Limited, and Anglo American PLC illustrate the broader structural changes reshaping the European economy. Pearson’s decline underscores the transformative effects of digitalization and automation within the education sector, as companies pivot toward technology-driven models. Royal Mail’s workforce reduction reflects ongoing modernization and cost-efficiency efforts in the logistics and delivery industry, challenged by shifting consumer behavior and competitive pressures. Meanwhile, Anglo American’s significant downsizing highlights the mining sector’s adaptation to market volatility, sustainability goals, and strategic realignment.

Together, these examples demonstrate how technological innovation, economic adaptation, and corporate restructuring are redefining employment patterns across traditional industries in Europe.

Net Job Growth in Europe Offsets Industry-Specific Losses

Despite the observed declines in employment within certain industries, a broader analysis across all countries and sectors in Europe reveals a net increase in total employment of approximately 6%. This indicates that while some industries are experiencing workforce reductions—often due to automation, restructuring, or sector-specific challenges—other sectors are expanding and generating new job opportunities.

The overall growth reflects structural shifts in the European labor market, including the rise of technology-driven industries, the expansion of green and sustainable sectors, and increasing demand for skilled professionals in services and knowledge-based fields. Thus, although individual divisions may face employment contractions, the aggregate effect across Europe is a positive trend in workforce growth.

Understanding employment trends by industries is crucial for policymakers, investors, and business leaders. The decline in traditional sectors calls for strategic adaptation, workforce reskilling, and innovation-driven growth. As industries transform, staying informed and responsive will be key to long-term resilience and competitiveness.

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