BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment remained steady at 6.4% in August 2026, with no change from July, reports Eurostat. The same rate was 6.3% in August 2025. Within the European Union, the unemployment rate held at 6.1% for a second consecutive month, compared to 6.0% a year earlier. The data indicates stable headline figures despite an increase in the number of unemployed individuals across both regions.
Eurostat estimates that 11.357 million people were unemployed in the euro area in August. The broader EU recorded 13.600 million unemployed individuals during the same period. Compared to July, unemployment rose by 26,000 in the euro area and by 12,000 across the EU. Year-over-year, the number of unemployed increased by 267,000 in the euro zone and by 348,000 throughout the 27-member European Union.
Unemployment rates at the national level continued to differ widely across the bloc in August. Spain registered a rate of 10.0%, while Finland stood at 10.3%, and Sweden 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 reported a rate of 3.4%, with Bulgaria’s unemployment rate at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment shifts in different directions
Youth unemployment figures exhibited a mixed trend between the euro area and the wider EU. The euro-area rate for individuals under 25 declined to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. Meanwhile, the EU youth unemployment rate increased slightly to 15.4% from 15.3%. In total, approximately 2.391 million young people were unemployed in the euro area, whereas the EU total reached 2.973 million.
The number of unemployed young individuals in the euro zone decreased by 9,000 from July, but across the EU, the total rose by 13,000 during the same period. Compared with August 2025, youth unemployment in the euro area grew by 38,000, while the EU saw an increase of 19,000. Youth unemployment rates remain higher than overall unemployment rates in both regions.
Women continue to experience higher unemployment rates
The August data also highlights a persistent gap between unemployment rates among women and men. In the euro area, the rate for women was 6.7%, while for men it stood at 6.2%, with both figures unchanged from July. Across the EU, unemployment was 6.4% for women and 5.9% for men, with no change from the previous month.
These unemployment figures are based on harmonized definitions recommended by the International Labour Organization. The measure includes 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 individuals as a percentage of the labor force. The next update on euro-area and EU unemployment is scheduled for October 30, 2026.