BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment held steady at 6.4% in August 2026, the same as in July. Eurostat reported that the rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Across the European Union, unemployment remained at 6.1% for the second month in a row. The EU rate was 6.0% a year earlier, with recent figures indicating a slight rise in the number of unemployed individuals.
In August, the euro area was estimated to have 11.357 million unemployed persons. This figure increased by 26,000 compared to July and by 267,000 relative to August 2025. In the entire European Union, approximately 13.600 million individuals were unemployed during the same month. The EU unemployment total grew by 12,000 from July and by 348,000 from August of the previous year.
Unemployment rates varied significantly across individual EU nations in August. Finland registered a rate of 10.3%, Spain reported 10.0%, and Sweden’s was 8.7%. France’s unemployment rate was 8.2%, while Italy’s stood at 6.2%, and Germany’s at 4.0%. Czechia recorded 3.2%, with Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each at 3.4%. Bulgaria followed at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment exhibits mixed monthly changes
The youth unemployment rate showed different trends across the euro area and the broader EU. In the euro zone, the rate for those under 25 decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Conversely, the EU youth unemployment rate rose to 15.4% from 15.3% during the same period. In total, 2.391 million young people were unemployed within the euro area, with the EU total reaching 2.973 million.
The number of unemployed young individuals in the euro area fell by 9,000 from July, whereas the EU saw an increase of 13,000 in the same timeframe. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment climbed by 38,000 in the euro zone and by 19,000 across the EU. Youth unemployment rates remain significantly higher than the overall jobless rates in both regions.
Higher unemployment persists among women
In August, women continued to experience higher unemployment rates than men. The euro area’s rate for women was 6.7%, versus 6.2% for men, with both figures unchanged from July. Across the EU, the female unemployment rate stayed at 6.4%, while the male rate was steady at 5.9%. The data for the month indicated no variation in either gender’s rate from July.
Eurostat’s calculation of unemployment relies on harmonized definitions aligned with International Labour Organization standards. The measure includes individuals aged 15 to 74 who are without a job, available to work, and have actively searched for employment in the past four weeks. The unemployment rate is expressed as a percentage of the labor force. The upcoming monthly report on euro-area and EU unemployment figures is scheduled for October 30, 2026.