BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment persisted at 6.4% in August 2026, showing no change from July, according to data published by Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. The European Union maintained a consistent unemployment rate of 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. Despite these stable headline figures, the number of unemployed individuals rose across both regions.
Eurostat estimates indicated that 11.357 million people were unemployed within the euro area in August. Meanwhile, the broader EU recorded a total of 13.600 million unemployed persons during the same month. Compared to July, unemployment increased by 26,000 in the eurozone and by 12,000 across the EU. From August 2025, the unemployment count grew by 267,000 in the euro area and by 348,000 within the 27-member EU.
Unemployment rates across individual nations continued to vary significantly in August. Spain’s rate was 10.0%, Finland registered 10.3%, and Sweden reported 8.7%. France’s rate stood at 8.2%, Italy at 6.2%, and Germany at 4.0%. At the lower end of the spectrum, Czechia reported a rate of 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each had an unemployment rate of 3.4%, while Bulgaria’s figure was 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge across regions
The monthly trend in youth unemployment reflected mixed developments between the euro area and the wider EU. The unemployment rate for individuals under 25 in the euro zone decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Conversely, the EU-wide youth unemployment rate rose marginally to 15.4% from 15.3%. The number of unemployed young people in the euro area was approximately 2.391 million, while in the EU, the total reached 2.973 million.
Compared to July, the number of unemployed young people in the euro area declined by 9,000. In contrast, across the EU, the total increased by 13,000 during the same period. When comparing to August 2025, youth unemployment in the euro zone grew by 38,000, and the EU saw an annual increase of 19,000. Rates for youth unemployment remained higher than overall unemployment rates in both the euro area and the EU.
Gender disparities persist in unemployment figures
Data for August also highlighted ongoing differences between female and male unemployment rates. In the euro area, the rate for women was 6.7%, compared to 6.2% for men, with both figures unchanged from July. Across the EU, unemployment for women was 6.4%, while for men it was 5.9%, with no change from the previous month.
These figures are based on harmonized definitions endorsed by the International Labour Organization, covering individuals aged 15 to 74 who are jobless, available to work, and actively seeking employment within the last four weeks. The unemployment rate is calculated as a proportion of the labor force. The next update for euro-area and EU unemployment rates is scheduled for October 30, 2026.