The financial sector, auto industry and retail sector were worst hit by the losses, with new employment recorded in discount stores and fast food outlets.
220,000 job losses were recorded by the ERM – the highest since it began to collect statistics in 2002 – with just 90,000 jobs created.
The UK recorded the highest number of announced job losses (63,314), followed by Poland (38,975), Germany (17,461) and France (11,779). For the third quarter in a row, auto manufacture is the sector with the most reported ERM job losses (23,584 jobs).
Other sectors with large restructuring-related job losses were retail (21,740), financial intermediation (16,778) and machinery manufacture (16,432).
Unemployment has also spiked very sharply in other member states, notably in the three Baltic countries, where the jobless rate has risen by between 6% and 9% over the past 12 months. A similar situation is seen in Ireland, where unemployment has risen to 11.4% from just 6% last year.
The data is less dramatic in other member states, but the ERM confirms that unemployment is rising across all member states, with the exception of Germany, France, Austria and the Netherlands, where short-time working, partial unemployment and other forms of worker flexibility have helped keep numbers down.
Bargain retailers and chain restaurants, which tend to prosper when the economic climate deteriorates, account for a significant portion of the new job announcements, according to the data released last week (30 April).
Responding to the Eurofound report, UK Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope said unemployed people must be retrained, and called for tax breaks for companies that help create jobs.
