The source for the regional labour market information down to NUTS level 2 is the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS). This is a quarterly household sample survey conducted in all Member States of the EU, the United Kingdom, EFTA and Candidate countries.

The EU-LFS survey follows the definitions and recommendations of the http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Glossary:International_Labour_Organization_(ILO)">International Labour Organisation (ILO). To achieve further harmonisation, the Member States also adhere to common principles when formulating questionnaires. The LFS' target population is made up of all persons in private households aged 15 and over. For more information see the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.

The EU-LFS is designed to give accurate quarterly information at national level as well as annual information at NUTS 2 regional level and the compilation of these figures is well specified in the regulation. Microdata including the NUTS 2 level codes are provided by all the participating countries with a good degree of geographical comparability, which allows the production and dissemination of a complete set of comparable indicators for this territorial level.

At present the transmission of the regional labour market data at NUTS 3 level has no legal basis. However, many countries transmit NUTS 3 figures to Eurostat on a voluntary basis, under the understanding that they are not for publication with such detail, but for aggregation by territorial typologies, i.e. urban-rural, metropolitan, coastal, mountain, borders and island typology. Most of the NUTS 3 data are based on the LFS while some countries transmit data based on registers, administrative data, small area estimation and other reliable sources.

Among European Union countries in July 2025, Spain had the highest unemployment rate at 10.4 percent, followed by Finland at 10 percent. By contrast, Malta has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe, at 2.6 percent. The overall rate of unemployment in the European Union was 5.9 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.

The 'LFS main indicators' section presents a selection of the main statistics on the labour market. They encompass indicators of activity, employment and unemployment. Those indicators are based on the results of the European Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), in few cases integrated with data sources like national accounts employment or registered unemployment. As a result of the application of adjustments, corrections and reconciliation of EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) data, the 'LFS main indicators' is the most complete and reliable collection of employment and unemployment data available in the sub-domain 'Employment and unemployment'.

The EU-LFS data used for 'LFS main indicators' are, where necessary, adjusted and enriched in various ways, in accordance with the specificities of an indicator. The most common adjustments cover:

• estimation of missing values, i.e. in case of missing quarters, annual results and EU aggregates are estimated using interpolations of EU Labour Force Survey data with reference to the available quarter(s).
• for all quarterly indicators seasonally adjusted data are available.
• correction of the main breaks in the LFS series.

Those adjustments may produce some differences between data published under 'LFS main indicators' and 'LFS series – detailed quarterly/annual survey results', particularly for back data. For the most recent years, the different series converge, due to the implementation of a continuous quarterly survey and the improved quality of the data.

This page focuses on the 'LFS main indicators' in general. There are special pages for indicators that are listed below:

• Monthly Unemployment: une_rt_m.

Quarterly and annual unemployment figures are derived in line with all other LFS Main Indciators, and no longer aggregated from monthly unemployment series.

• Duration of working life - annual data: lfsi_dwl_a;
• Population in jobless households - annual data: lfsi_jhh_a;
• Labour market transitions - LFS longitudinal data: lfsi_long.

The entry of the new Framework regulation on Social Statistics (IESS) in 2021 created changes in the LFS Main Indicators. Most countries expected breaks for a number of series derived from LFS microdata, therefore Eurostat and participating countries launched a joint break correction exercise to produce comparable data before and under IESS. The 'LFS main indicators' section therefore contains two type of datasets depending on the underlying regulation. The first type of datasets are historical series under the pre-IESS regulation, and include the suffix ‘_h’ for historical series at the end of the table titles. Historical series will remain accessible and are continued until 2020Q4 LFS microdata revisions of previously released EU-LFS series. Reasons for revisions are for example weight revisions due to revised weighting routines, or census revisions. The second type of datasets are new tables that are filled with data under IESS from 2021Q1 on. These tables also include the break-corrected 2009Q1-2020Q4 data that are produced in the break correction exercise. If countries send longer complete time series than starting in 2009, that data will also be used and published. Until fully back-estimated series in line with IESS are available for all countries, EU and EA aggregates were based on the data that is available at the time and was flagged with a break flag. Fully break-free EU and EA aggregates were published for the first time in February 2022. More information can be found on the EU-LFS Breaks in Time Series (Statistics Explained) webpage.

General information on the EU-LFS can be found in the ESMS page for 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)', see link in related metadata. Detailed information on the main features, the legal basis, the methodology and the data as well as on the historical development of the EU-LFS is available on the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in member states of the European Union in July 2025. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Spain in July 2025 was 10.4 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 jobseekers 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.

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 December 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.

Spain - Unemployment rate was 10.50% in June of 2025, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Spain - Unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on December of 2025. Historically, Spain - Unemployment rate reached a record high of 26.30% in March of 2013 and a record low of 10.50% in June of 2025.

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).

The statistic shows the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate in EU member states as of July 2025. The source defines youth unemployment as unemployment of those younger than 25 years. In July 2025, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate in Spain was at 26.6 percent. Youth unemployment rate in EU member states Unemployment is a crucial economic factor for a country; youth unemployment is often examined separately because it tends to be higher than unemployment in older age groups. It comprises the unemployment figures of a country’s labor force aged 15 to 24 years old (i.e. the earliest point at which mandatory school education ends). Typically, teenagers and those in their twenties who are fresh out of education do not find jobs right away, especially if the country’s economy is experiencing difficulties, as can be seen above. Additionally, it also tends to be higher in emerging markets than in industrialized nations. Worldwide, youth unemployment figures have not changed significantly over the last decade, nor are they expected to improve in the next few years. Youth unemployment is most prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, even though these regions report high unemployment figures regardless (Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan are among the countries with the highest unemployment rates in the world, for example), and are also highly populated areas with a rather weak infrastructure, compared to industrialized regions. In the European Union and the euro area, unemployment in general has been on the rise since 2008, which is due to the economic crisis which caused bankruptcy and financial trouble for many employers, and thus led to considerable job loss, less job offerings, and consequently, to a rise of the unemployment rate. Older workers are struggling to find new jobs despite their experience, and young graduates are struggling to find new jobs, because they have none. All in all, the number of unemployed persons worldwide is projected to rise, this is not down to the economic crisis alone, but also the industrial automation of processes previously performed by workers, as well as rising population figures.

European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: EU 27 excl UK: Male data was reported at 6.300 % in Mar 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.200 % for Feb 2020. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: EU 27 excl UK: Male data is updated monthly, averaging 8.800 % from Jan 2000 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 243 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.400 % in Jun 2013 and a record low of 6.200 % in Feb 2020. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: EU 27 excl UK: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G011: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

Euro Area - Unemployment rate: From 25 to 29 years was 8.80% 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: From 25 to 29 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Euro Area - Unemployment rate: From 25 to 29 years reached a record high of 16.90% in December of 2013 and a record low of 8.80% in December of 2024.

European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 20: Male data was reported at 6.100 % in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.000 % for Feb 2025. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 20: Male data is updated monthly, averaging 8.100 % from Jan 2000 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 303 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.200 % in Mar 2013 and a record low of 6.000 % in Feb 2025. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: 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: Seasonally Adjusted.

European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 19: Female data was reported at 8.200 % in Mar 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.300 % for Feb 2019. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 19: Female data is updated monthly, averaging 10.300 % from Jan 1998 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 255 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.700 % in Apr 1998 and a record low of 8.200 % in Mar 2019. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 19: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G011: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

The indicator presents unemployment rates for different age groups. The unemployment rate represents unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force. The labour force is the total number of people employed and unemployed. The indicator is based on the EU Labour Force Survey.

View monthly updates and historical trends for Eurozone Unemployment Rate. Source: Eurostat. Track economic data with YCharts analytics.

Portugal - Youth unemployment rate was 21.60% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Portugal - Youth unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on November of 2025. Historically, Portugal - Youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 38.60% in December of 2013 and a record low of 8.90% in December of 2000.

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 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 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.

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.

The youth unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed persons aged 15 to 24 by the total active population of the same age group. The indicator is based on the EU Labour Force Survey.