SMEs provide 70% of jobs in the European Union.

Omissions

• The figure most commonly published by EU institutions is 'about two-thirds' (~66-67%) of employment, not 70%; the MEP rounded the statistic upward to the nearest round number.
• The SME employment share varies by statistical scope: figures based on the non-financial business economy can differ from those expressed as a share of total private-sector employment, so a single precise percentage is not universally agreed.
• Some preliminary Eurostat structural business statistics (SBS) data for 2024 indicate that large enterprises (250+ employees) alone account for a large share of employment in the business economy, which, if read as the SME complement, would place the SME employment share closer to 50-55%; this source measures 'large businesses', not SMEs directly, and its scope may differ from the 'two-thirds' figure.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat news — 'Micro & small businesses make up 99% of enterprises in the EU'In 2022, the EU had 32.3 million enterprises, employing 160 million persons. Of that total, 99% were micro and small enterprises employing up to 49 persons.
• PrimaryCouncil of the European Union — 'Support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)'The 34 million European SMEs represent 99.8% of all businesses and provide about two-thirds of employment in the EU.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Inforegio, 'SME competitiveness'Small and medium-sized enterprises are vital for the EU's economy, accounting for more than 99% of European businesses and two thirds of private sector jobs.
• SecondaryEurofound — 'Small and medium-sized enterprises'SMEs are the backbone of Europe's economy. They represent 99% of all businesses in the EU. In the past five years, they have created around 85% of new jobs and provided two-thirds of the total private sector employment in the EU.