15:39 12 August 2025
Europe losing 500 jobs a day, mostly in manufacturing, because of energy prices
According to the European Trade Union Confederation, Europe is losing 500 industrial jobs daily, driven by high energy prices and strict climate goals. Electricity costs for EU industry are twice those in the U.S. and nearly 90% higher than in China; natural gas prices show an even bigger gap. In Poland, energy is mostly coal-based, with CO₂ costs making up to 60–70% of final electricity prices, while labour costs rose almost 13% in Q2 2024—over twice the EU average—eroding competitiveness. Foreign investment, from outside the EU, has collapsed from €7.7 billion in 2022 to €218 million in 2025.
Automotive supply chains are at risk, with plant closures and production shifting to Asia, exemplified by Intel’s cancelled semiconductor factories in Germany and Poland.
(wnp.pl)
