The number of aviation workers in the European Union (EU) reached, in the first quarter of this year, the lowest level recorded in 14 years, with 325,600 people employed in European air transport, Eurostat announced today.
Data released this Wednesday by the EU statistical office reveals that, in the first three months of 2022, a total of 325,600 people were employed in the air transport sector in the EU, which is the “lowest figure recorded in 14 years”.
The Covid-19 crisis has had a far-reaching impact on the economy, with air travel in particular being hit hard by a decline in passenger numbers. [pelo que] airlines and associated companies have reduced the number of their employees accordingly, with younger workers being particularly affected.
By age group, it was 15 and 39 years old who saw the largest reduction in workersfrom 204,400 in the first quarter of 2008 to 121,400 in the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of 83,000 in 14 years.
At the same time, there was an increase, albeit a smaller one, in the 40-64 age group, from 170,500 in the first quarter of 2008 to 204,200 in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 33,700 in 14 years.
Comparing the first quarter of 2022 with the pre-pandemic first quarter of 2019, the trend was similar, with a large decrease in aviation workers in the EU between 15 and 39 years old (from 184,900 to 121,400, minus 63,500) and a much smaller decrease in employees between 40 and 64 years old (from 225,500 to 204,200, minus 21,300).
By gender, men represented 58% of the workforce in the European air transport sector in the first quarter of 2022, a percentage similar to that of the first quarter of 2008 and stable over time, according to Eurostat.
Still, the Community Statistics Office explains that, despite the fact that total employment in air transport in the EU has decreased for both men and women during the Covid-19 pandemic, men were the most affected in the second quarter of 2020, which led to a percentage of men equal to 53% in that period.
In the last two quarters (third and fourth) of 2020, women were the most affected by the financial impacts of the pandemic.
Between the first quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2022, men accounted for 60% of the decrease in aviation workers in the EU, equivalent to 50,900 fewer, compared to a decrease of 33,800 for women.
The data comes at a time when the aviation sector in the EU is under pressure due to the lack of human resources, after the high number of redundancies due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a faster and more accentuated recovery of than expected giving rise to situations such as delays, flight cancellations and baggage problems throughout the Community.
Source: Observadora
