Decoding the Circular Economy Job Market in the EU: A Quantitative and Comparative Analysis

ABSTRACT The circular economy ( CE ) is increasingly promoted as a pathway to sustainable development, yet systematic evidence on the structure of the CE labor market remains limited. Little is known about how CE ‐related job opportunities are distributed across countries, which job characteristics dominate this market, and how such patterns compare with indicators from other sources. In this study, we address these gaps by analyzing CE ‐related job postings from LinkedIn across EU countries and selected non‐EU countries. Using a structured data collection and normalization approach, we examine cross‐country differences in CE labor market size and key job attributes (work mode, job type, experience level, and job function). We further compare the introduced LinkedIn indicator with Eurostat employment data and research output. The findings reveal pronounced regional disparities, a negative association with official CE employment statistics, and a positive relationship with research activity, highlighting the potential of professional networking platforms in understanding labor markets.