The economically active population is part of the human potential of a country or a region and constitutes the available labour force involved in the production and provision of goods and services. The active population is one of the main production factors, but it is also accompanied by other, equally important factors: capital and nature. A thorough outlook at the economically active population is conditioned by the analysis of the information related to the size and the structure of the active population in terms of several criteria, such as: age, residence, sex, level of education, national territorial units, etc.

One of the criteria used for assessing the development level of a country is the occupational structure of the economically active population, i.e. the grouping of the active population in each of the three economic sectors: primary sector (agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting), secondary sector (manufacturing and constructions) and the tertiary sector (services).

The historical development of the size and structure of the economically active population is best revealed by an analysis of the time series that have alternated during the reference period 2000-2011, based on the information presented in the Labour Force Balance. The structuring of the active population by development region was based on the identification of the relative measurements of structure according to a number of social and economic characteristics. The analysis of the ratio of the economically active population to the total population as a general indicator needs to be accompanied by the analysis of the specific activity rates by group.

Sustained development requires the involvement of all the policymakers in an joint effort to reduce the demographic decline that is affecting both our country and the other EU member states. This decline must be stopped by making investments in: health and science, as well as in labour force employment policies.