BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment persisted at 6.4% in August 2026, the same as in July. Eurostat indicated that the rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Within the European Union, the unemployment rate remained at 6.1% for a second month in a row. A year earlier, the EU rate had been 6.0%, and recent figures show a slight uptick in the number of people without employment.
The euro area’s unemployment count for August was approximately 11.357 million people. This number increased by 26,000 compared to July and by 267,000 from August 2025. Across the entire European Union, around 13.600 million individuals were unemployed during the month. The EU total rose by 12,000 from the previous month and by 348,000 compared to the same month last year.
Unemployment rates varied significantly among individual EU countries during August. Finland recorded a rate of 10.3%, while Spain’s rate was 10.0%. Sweden’s unemployment rate stood at 8.7%. France reported an 8.2% unemployment rate, compared with 6.2% in Italy and 4.0% in Germany. Czechia’s rate was 3.2%, and Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each registered 3.4%. Bulgaria followed at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment shows mixed monthly movement
In the euro area and the broader EU, youth unemployment figures moved in different directions. The euro-area rate for those under 25 decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Meanwhile, the EU youth unemployment rate increased to 15.4% from 15.3%. In total, about 2.391 million young people in the euro area were unemployed. The EU figure for unemployed youth reached 2.973 million.
The number of young unemployed individuals in the euro area dropped by 9,000 from July. In the EU, the total increased by 13,000 during the same period. Compared with August 2025, youth unemployment in the euro area rose by 38,000. The EU saw an annual increase of 19,000. Youth unemployment rates remained significantly higher than the overall jobless rates in both regions.
Higher unemployment rates continue to be observed among women
Women still registered higher unemployment rates than men in August. In the euro area, the rate for women was 6.7%, while for men it was 6.2%. Both figures remained unchanged from July. Across the European Union, the rate for women stayed at 6.4%, with men’s rate steady at 5.9%. The data for the month showed no change in either gender’s unemployment rate from July.
Eurostat’s measurement of unemployment uses standardized definitions aligned with International Labour Organization standards. The calculation considers individuals aged 15 to 74 who are jobless and available for work. These individuals must have actively searched for employment in the previous four weeks. The unemployment rate reflects this group as a proportion of the labor force. The next update on euro-area and EU unemployment figures is scheduled for October 30, 2026.