According to the projections of the staff of the Eurosystem - the group of central banks of the countries which use the Euro as their currency - the unemployment rate in the Eurozone is set to increase slightly in 2024, rising from 6.5 to 6.6 percent. In the years following, the unemployment rate of the Eurozone is then projected to slowly decline, reaching 6.4 percent in 2026.

Among European Union countries in December 2024, Spain had the highest unemployment rate at 10.6 percent, followed by Greece 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 5.9 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.

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

Graph and download economic data for Harmonised Unemployment - Monthly Rates: Total: All Persons for the Euro Area (19 Countries) (LRHUTTTTEZM156S) from Jul 1990 to Jan 2023 about harmonized, Euro Area, Europe, unemployment, persons, and rate.

Unemployment in the European Union has reached its low point in the twenty-first century in 2024. The share of the labour force out of work was slighly under 5.9 percent between August and November of that year, a marked decrease from its most recent peak of 7.8 percent in the Summer of 2020. While the jobs recovery has been strong in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic in the EU, this number is still far above the remarkably low rate in the United States, which has reached 4.3 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, this recent decline is a positive development for the EU countries, many of which have long suffered from chronic unemployment issues. In some regional labour markets in the EU, the issue is now less of people who can't find work, but employers who cannot find employees, leading to labour shortages. The sick men of Europe Several EU member states have long had high unemployment rates, with the large numbers of people in long-term unemployment being particularly concerning. Italy, France, Greece, Spain, and Portugal have all had double-digit unemployment rates for significant amounts of time during this period, with the ability of people to freely migrate to other EU countries for work only marginally decreasing this. While these countries have long dealt with these issues due to their declining legacy industries and the struggle of competing in a liberalized, globalized economy, their unemployment rates reached their highest points following the global financial crisis, great recession, and Eurozone crisis. These interconnected crises led to a period of prolonged stagnation in their economies, with unemployment reaching as high as 25 percent in Greece, the worst affected economy.

The statistic shows the unemployment rate in the European Union and the Euro area from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the average unemployment rate in the EU was 6.6 percent.

Key information about EU Unemployment Rate

• EU Unemployment Rate remained the same at 5.80% in Jan 2025, from the previously reported figure of 5.80% in Dec 2024.
• EU Unemployment Rate is updated monthly, available from Jan 2000 to Jan 2025, with an average rate of 9.30%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 11.70% in May 2013 and a record low of 5.80% in Jan 2025.
• The data is reported by reported by Eurostat.
• In the latest reports, EU Population reached 449.31 million people in Dec 2023.

Youth Unemployment Rate In the Euro Area decreased to 14.10 percent in January from 14.20 percent in December of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area Youth Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20 data was reported at 6.500 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.200 % for Dec 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20 data is updated monthly, averaging 8.800 % from Jan 2000 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 301 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.900 % in Feb 2013 and a record low of 6.100 % in Nov 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: Euro Area 20 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G013: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate: Aged 15-74: All Persons for the Euro Area (19 Countries) (LRUN74TTEZQ156S) from Q1 2005 to Q4 2022 about 15 to 74 years, Euro Area, Europe, unemployment, and rate.

Monthly unemployment across the EU generally fell throughout 2019, reaching a low of 6.5 percent in March 2020 - thereafter, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a sharp rise in unemployment, peaking at 7.8 percent in August. Unemployment remained high throughout the pandemic's first year, before falling in its second year, when it then fell to pre-pandemic levels 18 months after it began. From January to July 2024, unemployment in the EU remained fairly consistent at around six percent.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate: Aged 15-24: All Persons for the Euro Area (19 Countries) (LRUN24TTEZA156N) from 2005 to 2022 about 15 to 24 years, Euro Area, Europe, unemployment, and rate.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate: Aged 15-74: Females for the Euro Area (19 Countries) (LRUN74FEEZQ156N) from Q1 1993 to Q4 2022 about 15 to 74 years, females, Euro Area, Europe, unemployment, and rate.

European Union Unemployment Rate: Trend: Euro Area 20: Age 25 to 74 data was reported at 5.300 % in Jan 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.400 % for Dec 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: Trend: Euro Area 20: Age 25 to 74 data is updated monthly, averaging 7.700 % from Jan 2001 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 289 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.900 % in May 2013 and a record low of 5.300 % in Jan 2025. 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.G015: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate: Trend.

European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 20 data was reported at 6.200 % in Jan 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 6.200 % for Dec 2024. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 20 data is updated monthly, averaging 8.900 % from Jan 2000 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 301 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.200 % in Jun 2013 and a record low of 6.200 % in Jan 2025. European Union Unemployment Rate: sa: Euro Area 20 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.G014: Eurostat: Unemployment Rate: Seasonally Adjusted.

Euro Area - Youth unemployment rate was 14.60% 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 - Youth unemployment rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, Euro Area - Youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 25.20% in December of 2013 and a record low of 14.50% in December of 2023.

This dataset provides values for UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for the Euro Area (SLUEM1524ZSEMU) from 1991 to 2023 about Euro Area, Europe, unemployment, and rate.

Long Term Unemployment Rate in European Union remained unchanged at 1.80 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 1.80 percent in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - European Union Long Term Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.