BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment remained steady at 6.4% in August 2026, consistent with the figure reported in July. According to Eurostat, the rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Within the European Union, the unemployment rate held at 6.1% for the second month in a row. This is slightly higher than the 6.0% recorded a year earlier, reflecting a small increase in the number of individuals without employment.
In August, the euro area had approximately 11.357 million people unemployed, which is an increase of 26,000 from July and 267,000 compared to August 2025. Across the entire European Union, roughly 13.600 million individuals were jobless during the same period. The EU total grew by 12,000 from July and by 348,000 from the same month last year.
Unemployment rates varied notably among EU member states in August. Finland registered 10.3%, Spain reported 10.0%, and Sweden stood at 8.7%. France’s rate was 8.2%, while Italy had 6.2% and Germany 4.0%. Czechia’s unemployment was 3.2%, with Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each at 3.4%. Bulgaria followed closely at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment shows mixed monthly movement
The rate of youth unemployment in the euro area and broader EU moved in different directions. The euro-area percentage for those 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 was about 2.391 million, while the EU total reached 2.973 million.
Compared to July, the number of unemployed youths in the euro area fell by 9,000. In the EU, this figure rose by 13,000 during the same period. Year-over-year, youth unemployment increased by 38,000 in the euro zone, with the EU seeing an increase of 19,000. Despite these fluctuations, youth unemployment remains significantly higher than the overall unemployment rate in both regions.
Higher unemployment persists among women
In August, women continued to face higher unemployment rates than men. The euro area recorded a rate of 6.7% for women, compared to 6.2% for men, with no change from July. Within the EU, the unemployment rate for women stayed at 6.4%, while for men it remained at 5.9%. Both gender-specific rates showed no variation from the previous month.
Eurostat determines unemployment based on standardized definitions aligned with International Labour Organization standards. This includes individuals aged 15 to 74 who are without work, available for employment, and actively searching for a job in the past four weeks. The unemployment rate reflects this group as a proportion of the labor force. The next scheduled update for euro-area and EU unemployment figures will be released on October 30, 2026.