Almost one in ten workers in the EU is recognised as poor

Formal employment no longer guarantees a decent standard of living - this is the conclusion of a new Eurostat report published on 3 November 2025. According to data for 2024, 8.2 per cent of Europeans over the age of 18 who have a job are at risk of poverty. This means that their incomes, despite employment (including self-employment), are so low that they do not provide a basic standard of living according to EU standards.

The rate varies across countries: in Luxembourg, one of the richest countries in Europe, it reaches 13.4 per cent, while in Finland it is only 2.8 per cent. Thus, the poverty rate among workers in the EU shows a sharp territorial polarisation, often not directly related to GDP per capita.

In 22 EU countries, men are more likely to be among the "poor labourers" than women. On average, 9.0 per cent of men are at risk compared to 7.3 per cent of women. The difference is particularly marked in Romania, where it is 8.1 percentage points. There are exceptions: in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Cyprus, women are more likely to experience this phenomenon than men.

Eurostat statistics challenge the traditional view of the link between employment and financial sustainability. With rising prices, unstable labour contracts and underemployment, more and more workers find themselves socially vulnerable, despite the fact that they work every day.

So-called "working poor" - working poverty - has become the norm for millions of Europeans. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in countries with high inequality, flexible labour markets and insufficient protection for low-paid workers. These workers often have no access to union protection, work on temporary contracts or in jobs where the pay does not cover basic costs.

The indicator of "working poverty" is not just a statistic. It reflects the systemic problem of the gap between work and decent remuneration, especially in the context of the modern service economy. People are working, not living, but surviving. Although the situation varies from country to country, the general trend in Europe is alarming.

The Eurostat report is part of the annual Key Figures on European Living Conditions series, which tracks income, poverty, inequality, labour intensity and access to basic services. It offers not only statistics but also food for thought about the future of EU social policy. If even in Luxembourg work does not save from poverty, the issue is no longer just a matter of personal circumstances, but of the structure of the labour market across the continent.