BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment persisted at 6.4% in August 2026, showing no change from July, according to Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. In the European Union, the unemployment rate stayed at 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. Despite stable headline figures, the total number of unemployed individuals increased across both regions.
Eurostat reported that in August, 11.357 million people were jobless in the euro area. Meanwhile, the broader EU recorded 13.600 million unemployed individuals for the same month. Compared to July, unemployment grew by 26,000 in the eurozone and by 12,000 across the EU. From August 2025, the total increased by 267,000 in the euro area and 348,000 in the 27-member European Union.
Unemployment rates varied significantly across member states in August. Spain’s rate was 10.0%, Finland’s was 10.3%, and Sweden’s stood at 8.7%. France’s rate was 8.2%, Italy’s 6.2%, and Germany’s 4.0%. At the lower end, Czechia reported 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each registered 3.4%, while Bulgaria’s rate was 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge
Youth unemployment figures showed mixed changes between the euro area and the wider EU. The euro-area rate for individuals under 25 decreased slightly to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Conversely, the EU youth unemployment rate rose to 15.4% from 15.3%. Approximately 2.391 million young people were unemployed in the euro area, while the EU total reached 2.973 million.
The number of unemployed young people in the euro zone fell by 9,000 from July. During the same period, the EU recorded an increase of 13,000 in youth unemployment. Compared to August 2025, youth unemployment increased by 38,000 in the euro area, with the EU seeing an annual rise of 19,000. Youth unemployment rates remain higher than the overall unemployment rates in both regions.
Higher unemployment persists among women
August’s data also continued to highlight the gap between female and male unemployment rates. In the euro area, women’s rate was 6.7%, while men’s was 6.2%. Both figures held steady from July. Across the EU, the unemployment rate was 6.4% for women and 5.9% for men, with no change from the previous month.
These unemployment figures follow the harmonized definitions advised by the International Labour Organization. They include individuals aged 15 to 74 who are without a job, available to work, and have actively sought employment in the past four weeks. The unemployment rate reflects these people as a proportion of the labor force. The upcoming monthly update for euro-area and EU unemployment is scheduled for October 30, 2026.