BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment persisted at 6.4% in August 2026, with no change from July, as reported by Eurostat. The rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Within the European Union, unemployment remained steady at 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. The data indicated stable headline unemployment figures even as the total number of unemployed individuals increased across both regions.
Eurostat estimates showed that 11.357 million people were unemployed in the euro area during August. Meanwhile, the broader EU recorded a total of 13.600 million unemployed individuals for the same month. From July to August, unemployment grew by 26,000 in the euro area and by 12,000 across the EU. Compared to August 2025, unemployment rose by 267,000 in the euro area and by 348,000 throughout the 27-member European Union.
In August, member states displayed significant variation in unemployment rates. Spain’s rate stood at 10.0%, with Finland at 10.3%, and Sweden at 8.7%. France’s unemployment rate was 8.2%, Italy’s at 6.2%, and Germany’s at 4.0%. At the lower end, Czechia reported 3.2%. Malta, Poland, and Slovenia each recorded 3.4%, while Bulgaria’s unemployment rate was 3.5%.
Youth unemployment trends diverge across regions
In August, youth unemployment figures revealed mixed trends between 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 youth unemployment rate in the EU increased marginally to 15.4% from 15.3%. The number of unemployed young people in the euro area was approximately 2.391 million, while the EU total reached 2.973 million.
Compared to July, the number of unemployed young individuals in the euro zone declined by 9,000. During the same period, the EU experienced an increase of 13,000. Year-over-year, youth unemployment in the euro area rose by 38,000, with the EU recording a similar rise of 19,000. The rates for youth unemployment remained consistently above the general unemployment rates for both the euro area and the EU as a whole.
Gender gap persists in unemployment rates
The August data also highlights ongoing disparities between female and male unemployment figures. In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.7%, compared to 6.2% for men. Both figures remained unchanged from July. Across the EU, women’s unemployment rate was 6.4%, while men’s stood at 5.9%, with no change from the previous month.
The figures are based on harmonized definitions endorsed by the International Labour Organization, encompassing individuals aged 15 to 74 who are unemployed, available for work, and have actively searched for employment within the last four weeks. The unemployment rate indicates the share of unemployed individuals within the total labor force. The next update for euro-area and EU unemployment data is scheduled for October 30, 2026.