BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment persisted at 6.4% in August 2026, with no change from July, according to Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Across the European Union, unemployment stayed steady at 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. These figures indicate stable headline rates despite an increase in the number of unemployed individuals 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 individuals for the same month. Compared to July, unemployment grew by 26,000 in the euro zone and by 12,000 across the EU. Since August 2025, the number of unemployed people increased by 267,000 in the euro area and by 348,000 throughout the 27-member EU.
Unemployment rates among individual countries continued to show significant variation in August. Spain’s rate reached 10.0%, Finland’s was 10.3%, and Sweden’s stood at 8.7%. France reported 8.2%, Italy 6.2%, and Germany 4.0%. On the lower end, Czechia’s unemployment rate was 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each recorded 3.4%, with Bulgaria’s rate at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge
Youth unemployment exhibited mixed movements between the euro area and the wider EU. The euro-area rate for individuals under 25 decreased slightly from 15.1% in July to 15.0% in August. Meanwhile, the EU youth unemployment rate rose marginally from 15.3% to 15.4%. The total number of unemployed young people in the euro zone was about 2.391 million, with the EU total reaching 2.973 million.
From July to August, the number of unemployed young people in the euro area fell by 9,000. Conversely, across the EU, the total increased by 13,000 during the same period. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment in the euro zone grew by 38,000, while the EU saw an increase of 19,000. Youth unemployment rates continued to stay above the overall unemployment figures within both groupings.
Unemployment remains higher among women
The August data also highlighted ongoing disparities in unemployment rates between women and men. In the euro area, the rate for women was 6.7%, compared to 6.2% for men. Both figures remained steady from July. Within the EU, unemployment was 6.4% for women and 5.9% for men, with no change from the previous month.
These unemployment figures are based on harmonized definitions advised by the International Labour Organization. They include individuals aged 15 to 74 who are without a job, available to work, and have actively looked for employment in the past four weeks. The unemployment rate reflects these individuals as a percentage of the labor force. The upcoming monthly updates for euro-area and EU unemployment figures are scheduled for October 30, 2026.
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