Overview
In August 2026, the euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.4%, stable compared with July 2026 and up from 6.3% in August 2025. The EU unemployment rate was 6.1% in August 2026, also stable compared with July 2026 and up from 6.0% in August 2025. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Eurostat estimates that 13.600 million persons in the EU, of whom 11.357 million in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2026.
Compared with July 2026, unemployment increased by 12 thousand in the EU and by 26 thousand in the euro area.
Compared with August 2025, unemployment increased by 348 thousand in the EU and by 267 thousand in the euro area.
Youth unemployment
In August 2026, 2.973 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.391 million were in the euro area. In August 2026, the youth unemployment rate was 15.4% in the EU, up from 15.3% in the previous month, and 15.0% in the euro area, down from 15.1% in July 2026.
Compared with July 2026, youth unemployment increased by 13 thousand in the EU and decreased by 9 thousand in the euro area.
Compared with August 2025, youth unemployment increased by 19 thousand in the EU and by 38 thousand in the euro area.
Unemployment by sex
In August 2026, the unemployment rate for women was 6.4% in the EU and the unemployment rate for men was 5.9%, both stable compared with the previous month. In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.7% and the unemployment rate for men was 6.2%, both also stable compared with July 2026.
Additional labour market indicators
The estimates in this News Release are based on the globally used International Labour Organisation (ILO) standard definition of unemployment, which counts as unemployed people without a job who have been actively seeking work in the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks.
To capture in full the labour market situation, the data on unemployment have been complemented by additional indicators, e.g. underemployed part-time workers, persons seeking work but not immediately available and persons available to work but not seeking, released together with EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) data for the second quarter of 2026.
EU-LFS data for the third quarter of 2026 will be released on 11 December 2026.
Tables
Seasonally adjusted unemployment, totals
Rates (%)
Number of persons (in thousands)
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-26
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-26
6.3
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.4
11 090
11 235
11 318
11 331
11 357
6.0
6.1
6.1
6.1
6.1
13 252
13 502
13 613
13 588
13 600
6.1
6.3
6.3
6.0
5.9
334
349
344
329
324
3.7
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.5
113
102
106
107
106
3.1
2.9
3.2
3.3
3.2
166
159
176
180
173
6.5
6.9
6.6
6.7
5.9
215
230
221
223
197
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.0
4.0
1 667
1 723
1 738
1 751
1 760
7.2
6.6
6.9
7.9
8.0
54
49
51
59
60
4.9
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0
145
145
145
148
147
8.8
7.8
8.1
7.9
7.4
418
370
384
376
351
10.5
10.2
10.1
10.0
10.0
2 611
2 571
2 550
2 546
2 552
7.8
8.4
8.3
8.3
8.2
2 476
2 683
2 660
2 653
2 637
4.9
4.4
4.4
4.3
4.3
87
79
78
77
76
5.7
5.6
6.0
6.0
6.2
1 463
1 432
1 555
1 543
1 591
4.2
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.1
22
20
21
21
22
7.2
6.9
7.1
7.3
7.3
68
66
68
70
70
6.9
6.4
6.2
6.2
6.1
108
100
97
97
96
6.4
7.0
7.2
7.1
7.3
22
25
25
25
26
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.5
4.7
211
212
217
221
231
2.5
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
8
12
12
12
12
3.9
3.9
3.8
4.0
4.0
401
399
393
404
408
6.0
6.0
5.8
6.2
6.7
284
285
278
295
319
3.2
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
571
605
611
603
597
5.9
5.6
5.7
5.7
5.7
328
316
323
321
325
6.1
6.7
6.8
6.4
6.4
495
550
555
527
523
4.0
4.0
3.8
3.5
3.4
42
42
39
36
35
5.4
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.7
150
158
157
158
156
9.9
10.4
10.4
10.3
10.3
285
300
299
298
297
8.8
8.7
8.7
8.7
8.7
507
506
507
508
509
4.5
5.7
5.7
5.8
5.8
11
13
13
13
13
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
141
139
137
137
136
4.9
5.1
5.1
:
:
253
266
264
:
:
4.3
4.3
4.2
4.1
4.1
7 409
7 300
7 088
6 904
7 057
Seasonally adjusted youth (under 25s) unemployment
Rates (%)
Number of persons (in thousands)
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-26
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-26
14.8
15.2
15.2
15.1
15.0
2 353
2 422
2 416
2 400
2 391
15.3
15.6
15.7
15.3
15.4
2 954
3 023
3 049
2 960
2 973
18.4
19.1
19.1
:
:
88
93
93
:
:
14.5
12.8
13.4
13.9
13.5
17
16
17
17
17
10.7
8.7
13.2
12.5
12.0
33
28
45
41
39
15.6
14.7
15.8
10.7
15.0
79
78
81
57
77
7.0
7.5
7.5
7.4
7.4
315
331
330
329
328
21.7
22.2
25.9
28.5
28.4
14
14
17
19
19
12.6
11.5
11.6
12.4
12.3
46
42
42
45
44
21.8
17.1
20.9
16.5
15.6
58
43
57
45
43
25.0
24.0
23.3
22.8
22.7
461
466
454
449
452
19.4
21.6
21.2
20.8
20.6
661
741
724
707
699
18.4
16.4
16.4
:
:
21
19
19
:
:
19.8
17.7
19.4
19.7
20.3
248
221
246
244
253
13.0
11.9
11.9
:
:
4
3
3
:
:
11.9
13.6
14.1
15.4
16.0
8
10
10
11
12
13.1
12.4
11.5
12.1
12.5
14
12
11
11
11
18.8
19.4
20.1
20.2
20.8
4
5
5
5
5
15.0
12.8
13.5
15.2
15.4
45
36
40
45
44
7.5
8.8
9.3
9.7
9.7
2
3
3
3
3
8.6
8.7
8.5
8.6
8.8
156
157
152
154
157
12.3
8.6
10.7
12.3
13.1
62
45
55
65
67
12.4
11.9
11.6
11.4
11.3
142
135
131
127
126
18.9
19.8
20.0
21.0
19.8
72
74
75
79
74
25.9
30.8
30.8
:
:
127
147
147
:
:
13.2
14.3
14.3
:
:
10
12
12
:
:
15.6
18.8
18.5
18.0
17.4
20
24
24
23
22
22.4
23.2
23.3
23.3
23.3
74
76
76
75
75
24.1
24.1
24.0
23.9
23.8
168
173
174
174
174
9.5
11.7
11.2
11.0
11.0
4
4
4
4
4
18.1
14.3
14.0
12.0
13.6
83
65
64
55
62
8.3
9.5
9.0
:
:
49
57
54
:
:
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates (%), by sex
Males
Females
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-
26
Aug-25
May-26
Jun-26
Jul-26
Aug-26
6.1
6.2
6.2
6.2
6.2
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.7
6.7
5.8
5.9
6.0
5.9
5.9
6.2
6.3
6.3
6.4
6.4
6.6
6.9
6.9
6.6
6.4
5.6
5.7
5.6
5.4
5.4
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.0
3.9
3.5
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
2.6
2.5
2.9
2.7
2.7
3.6
3.5
3.7
4.1
3.7
6.5
6.1
6.9
5.7
5.5
6.6
7.9
6.3
7.7
6.4
4.1
4.2
4.2
4.3
4.3
3.4
3.6
3.7
3.7
3.7
8.3
6.6
6.6
8.0
8.2
6.2
6.6
7.2
7.8
7.9
5.0
4.7
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.9
5.1
5.1
5.2
5.1
6.9
5.2
6.3
5.9
4.9
11.1
10.9
10.2
10.4
10.3
9.1
9.1
9.0
8.9
8.9
12.0
11.4
11.3
11.2
11.3
7.8
8.5
8.4
8.4
8.3
7.7
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.2
5.5
4.8
4.9
4.8
4.8
4.2
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.7
5.3
5.2
5.6
5.4
5.7
6.4
6.0
6.6
6.7
6.8
4.0
3.6
3.6
3.7
3.7
4.5
3.9
4.1
4.3
4.5
8.3
7.9
8.1
8.2
8.0
6.1
6.0
6.2
6.5
6.7
7.8
7.0
6.7
6.7
6.4
5.9
5.7
5.7
5.8
5.8
6.3
6.8
6.9
6.9
7.0
6.6
7.2
7.4
7.4
7.6
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.4
4.6
4.4
4.4
4.7
4.7
4.9
2.9
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.5
1.9
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.3
3.8
3.8
3.8
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.9
4.0
6.6
6.3
6.3
6.7
6.4
5.4
5.6
5.3
5.7
7.0
2.8
3.4
3.4
3.3
3.3
3.6
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.5
5.4
5.0
5.0
4.9
5.2
6.3
6.1
6.4
6.4
6.3
6.3
6.6
6.6
6.2
6.3
5.7
7.0
7.1
6.7
6.5
3.7
3.7
3.4
3.2
3.1
4.4
4.4
4.2
3.9
3.8
5.2
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.8
6.1
6.0
6.0
5.9
10.6
10.9
10.8
10.7
10.7
9.2
9.9
9.9
9.9
9.9
8.9
8.8
8.8
8.8
8.7
8.7
8.6
8.7
8.7
8.7
4.6
5.6
5.6
5.7
5.8
4.2
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.8
5.2
4.7
4.8
4.3
4.6
4.5
4.2
4.4
4.0
4.3
5.0
5.2
5.2
:
:
4.8
5.1
5.0
:
:
Notes for users
Revisions and timetable
The data in this News Release can be subject to revisions, caused by updates to the seasonally adjusted series whenever new monthly data are added; the inclusion of the most recent EU-LFS data in the calculation process; update of seasonal adjustment models with complete annual data.
Compared with the rates published in the News Release of 1 September 2026, the July 2026 unemployment rate for the EU and the unemployment rate for the euro area remained unchanged. Among EU Member States, the rate has been revised by more than 0.1 percentage points (pp) downwards for Finland (by 0.2 pp). The rate has been revised by more than 0.1 percentage points (pp) upwards for Estonia (by 1.0 pp) and Italy (by 0.2 pp).
Country notes
Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden as well as Iceland and Norway: the trend component is used instead of the more volatile seasonally adjusted data.
Estonia and Portugal: 3-month moving averages of EU-LFS data are used instead of pure monthly indicators.
Methods and definitions
Eurostat publishes harmonised unemployment rates for individual EU Member States, the euro area and the EU. These unemployment rates are based on the definition recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The measurement is based on a harmonised data source, the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS).
Based on the ILO definition, Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who:
The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force.
The labour force is the total number of people employed plus unemployed. In this news release unemployment rates are based on employment and unemployment data covering persons aged 15 to 74.
The youth unemployment rate is the number of people aged 15 to 24 unemployed as a percentage of the labour force of the same age. Therefore, the youth unemployment rate should not be interpreted as the share of jobless people in the overall youth population.
When data for the most recent month are not available for a Member State, EU and EA aggregates are calculated using the latest data available for that Member State.
Geographical information
Euro area (EA21): Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
European Union (EU 27): Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
For more information