Unemployment in the euro area was 6.4 percent in August 2026, unchanged from July and up from 6.3 percent a year earlier, Eurostat reported. Across the whole EU the rate was 6.1 percent. About 13.6 million people in the EU were unemployed, 11.357 million of them in the euro area.
Key takeaways
- Euro area rate: 6.4 percent. EU rate: 6.1 percent.
- Lowest national rates: Czechia 3.2 percent, Poland 3.4 and Malta 3.4.
- Highest: Spain 10.0 percent and Finland 10.3.
- Youth unemployment was 15.4 percent in the EU.
- September figures are due at the end of October.
What happened?
Unemployment is edging up slowly. Compared with August 2025, about 348,000 more people were out of work across the EU. The monthly change was small, with 12,000 more unemployed in the EU. Germany's rate stayed at 4.0 percent, France eased to 8.2 percent and Italy rose to 6.2 percent.
Some smaller countries moved sharply. Austria rose from 6.2 to 6.7 percent in a month, and Estonia reached 8.0 percent. Greece fell to 7.4 percent, from 8.8 a year earlier.
Outside the EU, Eurostat's table puts Norway at 4.5 percent and Iceland at 5.8 percent, while the United States was at 4.1 percent in August on the same basis. Sweden, at 8.7 percent, has one of the highest rates in the north of Europe.
Women had a higher unemployment rate than men, at 6.7 percent against 6.2 percent in the euro area. The gap is widest in Greece and Spain.
How hard is it for young people?
Youth unemployment, for people under 25, was 15.4 percent across the EU and 15.0 percent in the euro area. It is far higher in some countries: Sweden 23.8 percent, Finland 23.3 and Spain 22.7. Germany had one of the lowest youth rates at 7.4 percent. Eurostat notes this rate measures young people in the labour force, not all young people.
Who is affected?
This matters if you are planning to move to Europe for work. Countries with low unemployment, such as Czechia, Poland, Malta, the Netherlands and Germany, generally have tighter labour markets and more demand for workers. But a low rate does not mean easy visas; each country has its own work permit rules. High-rate countries such as Spain and Finland have more local competition for each job.
What should job seekers do now?
- Shortlist countries by both unemployment rate and visa routes for your job.
- Check the official EURES job portal for openings across the EU.
- Read our guide to finding visa-sponsored jobs abroad before you apply.
- Compare with other markets in our UK labour market update.
What happens next?
Eurostat's September figures are due at the end of October. Labour Force Survey data for the third quarter, which add measures such as underemployment, will be released on 11 December 2026.
Source: Eurostat, Euro area unemployment at 6.4%, 30 September 2026.
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About the author
Lutaf Junijo
Career Content Editor, World Careers Hub
Lutaf Junijo is the Career Content Editor at World Careers Hub and Dev Global Jobs. He writes and edits our guides on jobs, CVs, visas, salaries and careers abroad, and he runs our official social media. Every fact is checked against official and trusted sources, named in the post, and errors are corrected as soon as readers report them.
