Employment in the EU27 and the euro area began to fall in the second quarter of 2008 as a result of the economic crisis. However, the fall in employment was smaller than the contraction of economic activity. One of the reasons for this is the fact that employers can reduce the volume of hours worked and increase the use of part-time employment. This has been the case in the EU27 and in the euro area between the second quarters of 2008 and 2009. The analysis of the impact of the crisis on employment also shows that employees have been affected differently depending on their level of education. [more]