BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment stayed steady at 6.4% in August 2026, the same rate as in July. Eurostat reported that the rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Throughout the European Union, the unemployment rate 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 had an estimated 11.357 million people without jobs. This figure grew by 26,000 from July and by 267,000 compared to August 2025. In the entire European Union, approximately 13.600 million individuals were unemployed during the month. The EU total increased by 12,000 from July and by 348,000 when compared to the same month last year.
Unemployment rates varied significantly among individual EU nations in August. Finland reported 10.3%, Spain was at 10.0%, and Sweden stood at 8.7%. France’s unemployment rate was 8.2%, while Italy had 6.2%, and Germany’s was 4.0%. Czechia recorded 3.2%, with Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each at 3.4%. Bulgaria followed at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment displays mixed monthly trends
Unemployment among young people showed different movements in the euro area and the wider EU. The euro-area rate for those under 25 decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Conversely, the EU youth unemployment rate rose marginally to 15.4% from 15.3% in the same period. The euro area had about 2.391 million young unemployed individuals, while the EU total reached 2.973 million.
The number of unemployed youth in the euro area fell by 9,000 from July. Meanwhile, the EU figure grew by 13,000 during the month. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment increased by 38,000 in the euro area and by 19,000 across the EU. Youth unemployment remains significantly higher than overall unemployment rates in both regions.
Gender disparities persist in unemployment figures
In August, women continued to experience higher unemployment rates than men. The euro area saw female unemployment at 6.7%, with male unemployment at 6.2%, with both rates unchanged from July. Across the European Union, the female rate was 6.4%, while the male rate held at 5.9%, with no change from the previous month.
Eurostat measures unemployment based on harmonized definitions aligned with International Labour Organization standards. The statistic covers individuals aged 15 to 74 who are without a job, actively seeking employment, and available to work. The unemployment rate is calculated as a percentage of this labor force. The upcoming monthly update on euro-area and EU unemployment figures is scheduled for October 30, 2026.