BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment remained at 6.4% in August 2026, with no change from July, according to Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. In the European Union, unemployment stayed at 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. These figures indicate stable headline rates despite a rise in the total number of unemployed individuals across both regions.
Eurostat estimated that 11.357 million people were unemployed within the euro area in August. The broader EU recorded a total of 13.600 million unemployed during the same period. Compared to July, unemployment increased by 26,000 in the euro zone and by 12,000 across the EU. From August 2025, the number of unemployed persons rose by 267,000 in the euro area and by 348,000 in the 27-member European Union.
Unemployment rates at the national level continued to show significant variation across the bloc in August. Spain’s rate was 10.0%, Finland’s stood at 10.3%, and Sweden’s was 8.7%. France recorded 8.2%, Italy 6.2%, and Germany 4.0%. Conversely, Czechia reported a rate of 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each registered 3.4%, while Bulgaria’s unemployment rate was 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge
Youth unemployment figures displayed a mixed pattern for August between the euro area and the wider EU. The rate for those under 25 in the euro zone decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July, whereas in the EU it increased to 15.4% from 15.3%. The total number of unemployed young people in the euro area reached 2.391 million, while in the EU, the figure was 2.973 million.
From July to August, the number of unemployed young people in the euro area declined by 9,000, while across the EU, it rose by 13,000. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment increased by 38,000 in the euro zone and by 19,000 in the EU. Throughout both regions, youth unemployment rates stayed above the overall unemployment rates.
Higher unemployment persists among women
The August data also revealed ongoing disparities between unemployment rates for women and men. In the euro area, the rate for women was 6.7%, while for men it was 6.2%. 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 statistics are based on harmonized definitions recommended by the International Labour Organization, covering individuals aged 15 to 74 who are jobless and ready to start work. To be classified as unemployed, they must have actively sought employment in the last four weeks. The unemployment rate is expressed as a proportion of the labor force. The next update on euro-area and EU unemployment figures is scheduled for October 30, 2026.