BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment remained steady at 6.4% in August 2026, with no change from July, according to Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Meanwhile, the European Union kept its unemployment rate at 6.1% for the second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year prior. Despite these stable headline figures, the number of unemployed individuals increased across both regions.
Eurostat reported that 11.357 million people were jobless in the euro area in August. The broader EU recorded a total of 13.600 million unemployed persons during the same month. Compared to July, unemployment rose by 26,000 in the eurozone and by 12,000 across the EU. From August 2025, the figures have increased by 267,000 in the euro area and 348,000 in the 27-member European Union.
Unemployment rates varied significantly among individual countries in August. Spain registered a rate of 10.0%, with Finland at 10.3% and Sweden at 8.7%. France’s rate was 8.2%, Italy’s 6.2%, and Germany’s 4.0%. On the lower end, Czechia reported 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each recorded 3.4%, while Bulgaria’s unemployment rate stood at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge
The youth unemployment rate exhibited mixed movements between the euro area and the wider EU. The euro-area rate for individuals under 25 decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Conversely, the EU youth unemployment rate increased marginally to 15.4% from 15.3%. The number of unemployed young people in the euro zone reached approximately 2.391 million, while across the EU, the total was 2.973 million.
From July to August, the number of unemployed young people in the euro area fell by 9,000, whereas the EU saw an increase of 13,000 in the same period. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment rose by 38,000 in the euro area and by 19,000 in the EU. In both regions, youth unemployment rates remained above the overall unemployment figures.
Gender disparities persist in unemployment figures
The August data also highlighted ongoing differences between unemployment rates for women and men. In the euro area, women faced a rate of 6.7%, while men’s rate was 6.2%. Both figures remained unchanged from July. Across the EU, the unemployment rate for women was 6.4%, compared to 5.9% for men, with no change from the previous month.
These unemployment statistics follow harmonized definitions recommended by the International Labour Organization. They include individuals aged 15 to 74 who are jobless, available to work, and have actively looked for employment within the last four weeks. The unemployment rate reflects these individuals as a proportion of the total labor force. The next update for euro-area and EU unemployment figures is scheduled for October 30, 2026.
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