In the European Union, 3.9% of the workforce is engaged in compliance-related activities, while only 1.7% works in research and innovation.

Omissions

• The 3.9% compliance figure is confirmed by the OECD but refers to 2023 data — the most recent available estimate as of the session date. The MEP did not cite the OECD as the source, nor specify the reference year.
• The 1.7% figure for research and innovation employment could not be located in any primary or secondary source during the fact-check. It is unclear whether this figure comes from the same OECD report (which may contain a comparison between compliance and R&D employment shares) or from a different source altogether.
• The MEP did not cite any source for either figure, making independent verification more difficult.
• The OECD itself notes that its estimates 'probably understate the economic resources devoted to regulatory compliance,' suggesting the real figure may be higher than 3.9%.

Sources

• PrimaryOECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2025 Issue 2 — Chapter: Time for a Regulatory ResetBased on this metric, 3.9% of aggregate employment was devoted to regulation-related tasks in the average EU country, against 3.7% in Australia and 5.0% in the United States. In 2023, 3.9% of aggregate employment was devoted to servicing regulatory compliance on average in the EU against 3.7% in 2011.