Among European Union countries in March 2025, Spain had the highest unemployment rate at 10.9 percent, followed by Finland at 9.4 percent. By contrast, Czechia has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe, at 2.6 percent. The overall rate of unemployment in the European Union was 5.8 percent in the same month - a historical low-point for unemployment in the EU, which had been at over 10 percent for much of the 2010s.

European Union Unemployment Rate: Trend: Euro Area 20: Age 25 to 74 data was reported at 5.400 % in Mar 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 5.400 % for Feb 2025. European Union Unemployment Rate: Trend: Euro Area 20: Age 25 to 74 data is updated monthly, averaging 7.700 % from Jan 2001 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 291 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.900 % in May 2013 and a record low of 5.300 % in Nov 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: Trend: Euro Area 20: Age 25 to 74 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate: Trend.

Euro Area - Unemployment rate was 6.40% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Euro Area - Unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, Euro Area - Unemployment rate reached a record high of 12.20% in December of 2013 and a record low of 6.40% in December of 2024.

EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data was reported at 8.000 % in Jun 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.200 % for May 2018. EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data is updated monthly, averaging 9.000 % from Jan 1983 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 426 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.700 % in Feb 2013 and a record low of 7.200 % in Jul 2008. EU Unemployment Rate: Euro Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s EU – Table EU.G010: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate.

The youth unemployment rate is a MIP auxiliary indicator, expressed as the percentage of unemployed individuals aged 15 to 24 compared to the total labour force (both employed and unemployed) within the same age group. Unemployed persons are defined as those who meet all three of the following conditions: they were not employed during the reference week; they were available to start working within the two weeks following the reference week; and they had actively sought work in the four weeks preceding the reference week, or had already secured a job scheduled to start within the next three months. In the table, the values are also presented as changes over a three-year period (in percentage points). The source of the data is the quarterly EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), which covers the resident population living in private households.

As of June 2024, Spain had the highest youth unemployment rate in Europe, at 25.8 percent, with Sweden having the second-highest youth unemployment rate as of this month, at 23.8 percent. Across the 27 member states of the European Union, the overall youth unemployment rate was 14.6 percent, with Germany having the lowest youth unemployment rate of 6.8 percent.

The statistic reflects the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in member states of the European Union in November 2024. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Spain in November 2024 was 11.2 percent.The unemployment rate represents the share of the unemployed in all potential employees available to the job market. Unemployment rates in the EU The unemployment rate is an important measure of a country or region’s economic health, and despite unemployment levels in the European Union falling slightly from a peak in early 2013 , they remain high, especially in comparison to what the rates were before the worldwide recession started in 2008. This confirms the continuing stagnation in European markets, which hits young job seekers particularly hard as they struggle to compete against older, more experienced workers for a job, suffering under jobless rates twice as high as general unemployment. Some companies, such as Microsoft and Fujitsu, have created thousands of jobs in some of the countries which have particularly dire unemployment rates, creating a beacon of hope. However, some industries such as information technology, face the conundrum of a deficit of qualified workers in the local unemployed work force, and have to hire workers from abroad instead of helping decrease the local unemployment rates. This skills mismatch has no quick solution, as workers require time for retraining to fill the openings in the growing science-, technology-, or engineering-based jobs, and too few students choose degrees that would help them obtain these positions. Worldwide unemployment also remains high, with the rates being worst in the Middle East and North Africa. Estimates by the International Labour Organization predict that the problem will stabilize in coming years, but not improve until at least 2017.

The share of long-term unemployment is the share of unemployed persons since 12 months or more in the total active population, expressed as a percentage. The total active population (labour force) is the total number of the employed and unemployed population. The duration of unemployment is defined as the duration of a search for a job or as the period of time since the last job was held (if this period is shorter than the duration of the search for a job).

The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed and unemployed) based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who fulfil all three following conditions: - are without work during the reference week; - are available to start work within the next two weeks; - have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or have already found a job to start within the next three months. The indicator monitors high and persistent rates of unemployment and it helps to better understand the potential severity of macroeconomic imbalances. It points towards a potential misallocation of resources and general lack of adjustment capacity in the economy. The quarterly time series are seasonally adjusted. The data source is the quarterly EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS covers the resident population in private households.

European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20: Male data was reported at 6.400 % in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.300 % for Feb 2025. European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20: Male data is updated monthly, averaging 8.000 % from Jan 2000 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 303 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.900 % in Feb 2013 and a record low of 5.800 % in Oct 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate.

The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. The labour force is the total number of people employed and unemployed. The MIP scoreboard indicator considers unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who:

- are without work during the reference week;

- are available to start work within the next two weeks;

- and have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or had already found a job to start within the next three months.

Unit: rate. The indicative threshold of the indicator is 10%. In the table, values are also calculated by considering unemployed persons aged 15 to 24 and those aged 25 to 74.

Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Commission. This website provides statistical information on many aspects of European societies free of charge. The Eurostat data are organized into nine statistical themes. Additionally these themes are subdivided into collections of data tables. Here we focus on data regarding work and employment.

Croatia - Youth unemployment rate was 16.80% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Croatia - Youth unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, Croatia - Youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 50.50% in December of 2013 and a record low of 16.70% in December of 2019.

Unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force. The labour force is the total number of people employed and unemployed. Unemployed persons are persons aged 15 to 74 who were without work during the reference week, were available for work and were actively seeking work. Data available as rates (% of population in the labour force, % of the total population) and in absolute numbers (1000 persons).

Spain - Youth unemployment rate was 26.50% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Spain - Youth unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Spain - Youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 55.50% in December of 2013 and a record low of 17.90% in December of 2006.

Unemployed persons (age 15 to 74 years - without work, available for work and actively seeking work) as a percentage of the labour force (sum of employed and unemployed persons), by NUTS 2 region. Data based on the EU Labour Force Survey.

The unemployment rate in the European Union and the Euro area from 2013 to 2024 has a decreasing trend. In 2024, the average unemployment rate in the EU was 5.9 percent.

European Union - Unemployment rate was 5.90% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for European Union - Unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, European Union - Unemployment rate reached a record high of 11.60% in December of 2013 and a record low of 5.90% in December of 2024.

The unemployment rate represents unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. The labour force is the total number of people employed and unemployed. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who: - are without work during the reference week; - are available to start work within the next two weeks; - and have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or had already found a job to start within the next three months. Data are presented in seasonally adjusted form.

The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed and unemployed) based on International Labour Office (ILO) definition. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who fulfil all three following conditions: - are without work during the reference week; - are available to start work within the next two weeks; - have been actively seeking work in the past four weeks or have already found a job to start within the next three months. The indicator monitors high and persistent rates of unemployment and it helps to better understand the potential severity of macroeconomic imbalances. It points towards a potential misallocation of resources and general lack of adjustment capacity in the economy. The indicator is the three-year backward moving average, i.e. the data for year Y is the arithmetic average of data for years Y, Y-1 and Y-2. It is calculated: [URt+URt-1+URt-2]/3. The indicative threshold is 10%. The data source is the quarterly EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS covers the resident population in private households.