BRUSSLE (Euronews) - EU defense spending rose by over 30% between 2021 and 2024, driving increased labor demand across the sector. Defense job postings have outpaced the wider job market since 2022.
EU member states increased their total defense spending by over 30% between 2021 and 2024, rising from €214 billion to an estimated €326 billion, according to the European Defense Agency.
Europe’s defense industry is also facing growing labor needs, leading to a rise in job postings. Hiring has increased sharply across Europe’s defense sector compared to the broader job market, according to global hiring platform Indeed.
Defense-related job postings have outpaced overall market trends since 2022. France, Germany, and the UK remain the main hubs for defense recruitment.
Security has long been a key priority for Europe, but it has taken on greater importance since the Russian-Ukraine war in early 2022. Job postings data suggests that all have an impact on Europe’s defense industry, according to Indeed. 
Following a pandemic-driven decline in 2020, job postings in both the defense sector and the overall labor market initially recovered at a similar pace. However, their paths diverged sharply beginning in early 2022, around the time of Russia-Ukraine war in February.