3 Million New Jobs Within EU for 2006

The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, said the 2.9 million new jobs, were "the best for a long time," following several years of slow growth.

According to the most recent EU estimates, the EU economy grew 2.9 percent last year with domestic demand driving the upswing. Europe also profited from strong exports to the rest of the world.

In a speech to a London conference organized by CFO magazine, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said government efforts to make labor markets more flexible were responsible for the rapid fall in jobless rates and "resilient employment growth," particularly among women and older workers.

He called for EU nations to push on with reforms to make it easier for new businesses to start up and begin cross-border trade with other European countries.