Almost 80% of people of working age in Sweden were employed in 2013, the highest rate in the EU, a new labour market study by Eurostat has revealed.

The Swedes (79.8%) led Europe by almost 3%, followed by Germany (77.1%), the Netherlands, and Denmark, all of which were above 75%.

The EU average was more than 10% lower, at 68.3%, and marked a continent-wide trend since the financial crisis in 2008 when it fell from 70.3%.

The EU is aiming for an employment rate of at least 75% by 2020.The lowest employment rates were in Greece (53.2%) and Croatia (53.9%).