Multinational firms dominate EU workforce, employing over 50 million in 2024

Nearly 150,000 multinational enterprise groups were operating across the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries in 2024.

A total of 149,678 multinational enterprise (MNE) groups were active in the EU and EFTA area, with 96,201 of them controlled by an EU country and 14,098 controlled by an EFTA country, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.

Germany controlled the largest number of MNE groups operating in the EU and EFTA, with 15,342, followed by the Netherlands with 13,805 and Switzerland with 10,824.

Another 39,379 MNE groups — 26.3% of the total — were controlled by countries outside the EU and EFTA.

The United Kingdom controlled the most MNE groups among non-EU and non-EFTA countries, with 14,118, followed by the United States with 8,003 and China, including Hong Kong, with 2,135.

Multinationals accounted for 30% of business economy jobs

Across the EU and EFTA, 51.6 million people worked for MNE groups in 2024, representing 30% of employment in the “business economy” — a category covering industry, construction and services — Eurostat said.

Luxembourg recorded the highest share of people employed by MNE groups at 54% of total employment, followed by Czechia and Sweden at 44% each, Switzerland at 43% and Norway at 42%.

The lowest shares were in Greece at 14%, and Cyprus and Iceland at 18% each.