The fourth quarter of 2009 saw the number of financial services jobs in the 27 European Union (EU) member states climb.

According to the latest figures from the Eurostat agency, the sector defied a 0.3 per cent fall in overall employment in the region during the three months, something that may interest those seeking finance jobs in Belgium.

The statistical office of the EU reveals that although most nations saw a fall in employment during the period in question, jobs creation remained static in the UK and rose over the quarter in Poland by 0.1 per cent compared with the previous three months.

During the three months to December 2009, total employment across the EU27 was 221.1 million, while it was 144.3 million in the euro area.

Meanwhile, Norway, which lies outside the EU but is part of the free trade area, saw a 0.1 per cent quarterly climb in those in employment.

Eurostat figures for unemployment rates in Europe between December 2009 and January 2010 remained unchanged over the month.