A report on Quality of Life in European Cities has revealed that finding a job is significantly easier in cities in western and northern Europe compared to those in southern Europe. 

According to a report on Quality of Life in European Cities, 79 percent of respondents in Prague (Czechia) stated that finding a job in the city is easy, making it the top city for job accessibility. Cluj-Napoca (Romania) follows in second place with 73 percent. Munich (Germany) and Bratislava (Slovakia) are ranked third and fourth, with 72 percent of respondents noting high employment opportunities. Hamburg (Germany) comes in fifth, with 71 percent of participants saying it is easy to find a job there.

Rounding out the top ten cities with the most accessible jobs are Oslo (Norway) with 69 percent, Stockholm (Sweden) with 68 percent, and Warsaw (Poland) at eighth with 66 percent. Sofia (Bulgaria) and Tallinn (Estonia) both share the ninth position with 65 percent. Conversely, Palermo (Italy) has the lowest job accessibility, with only four percent of people finding it easy to get a job. Naples (Italy) follows with 11 percent, and Oviedo (Spain) with 16 percent.

The report also highlights that the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing demographic shifts have led to labor shortages across the EU, challenging urban economies. While cities usually offer more specialized and higher-paying jobs compared to rural areas, the ease of finding employment varies significantly among urban residents.

Outside the EU, cities in the United Kingdom and EFTA states have a relatively higher share of residents satisfied with job availability at 54 percent. However, in the western Balkans and Turkey, only 38 and 46 percent of inhabitants, respectively, view job prospects favourably.