One third of all women in Europe are outside the labour market.
55% confidence
EqualityEuropean Union
Omissions
The claim says 'all women in Europe', but the one-third magnitude is only defensible for women of working age (20-64). For the female population of all ages the share outside the labour force is considerably higher (students and pensioners included), so the phrase 'all women' is imprecise.
Eurostat's strict inactivity rate (persons 'outside the labour force') is lower than the non-employment figure: the 29% implied by the 70.8% employment rate includes unemployed women, who are still inside the labour market.
The geographic scope differs: the Eurostat data cover the European Union, not 'Europe' as a whole (which would include non-EU countries such as the UK, Norway, Switzerland, the Western Balkans, etc.).
The most recent source used (Eurostat news, 2026-03-03) is dated after the 2024 reference year but before the session date of 2026-09-16, so the MEP could have known it; the exact reference period intended by the speaker is not specified.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat Statistics Explained — Employment annual statisticsIn 2024, there was a significant gap between employment rates for men and women aged 20-64. While the EU's male employment rate stood at 80.8%, the female employment rate was just 70.8%, resulting in a gender employment gap of 10.0 pp.
PrimaryEurostat news — Women at work: a snapshot of EU's gender employment gapAs we look at the EU's labour market, data show that while men's employment rate stood at 80.8% in 2024, women's employment rate was 70.8%, resulting in a gender employment gap of 10.0 percentage points (pp). Gender employment gap is defined as the difference between employment rates of men and women aged 20-64.