Evolution of employment structures and regional specialisation in the EU

This paper investigates the differentiated employment structures of the European regions, their evolution over time and their implications for economic growth. The analysis focuses on the distribution of employment between the main productive sectors over the period 1983–1997 in 145 regions of the EU. Some clusters of regions which are structurally similar are identified. Finally, in order to show the importance of the economic structure for long-run growth, the productive structures are related to convergence in per-capita incomes. The main results show that convergence and persistence in employment structures may coexist; structural differences are greater within rather than between countries; and, finally, convergence in incomes is improved by the homogenisation of productive structures, although the industrial sector maintains a key role in the growth processes.