BRUSSELS / RankWire.AI / – Euro area unemployment remained at 6.4% in August 2026, matching the rate recorded in July. Eurostat said the rate stood at 6.3% in August 2025. Across the European Union, unemployment held at 6.1% for a second consecutive month. The EU rate had stood at 6.0% one year earlier, while the latest figures showed a modest increase in the number of people without work.
The euro area had an estimated 11.357 million unemployed people in August. That total increased by 26,000 from July and by 267,000 from August 2025. Across the full European Union, about 13.600 million people were unemployed during the month. The EU total rose by 12,000 from July and by 348,000 compared with the same month last year.
Unemployment rates differed sharply among individual EU countries during August. Finland recorded 10.3%, while Spain reported 10.0% and Sweden stood at 8.7%. France posted an unemployment rate of 8.2%, compared with 6.2% in Italy and 4.0% in Germany. Czechia recorded 3.2%, while Malta, Poland and Slovenia each stood at 3.4%. Bulgaria followed at 3.5%.
Youth unemployment shows mixed monthly movement
Youth unemployment moved in different directions across the euro area and the wider European Union. The euro-area rate for people under 25 eased to 15.0% from 15.1% in July. The EU youth unemployment rate increased to 15.4% from 15.3% during the same period. About 2.391 million young people were unemployed in the euro area, while the corresponding EU total reached 2.973 million.
The number of unemployed young people in the euro area declined by 9,000 from July. Across the EU, the total increased by 13,000 during the month. Compared with August 2025, youth unemployment increased by 38,000 in the euro area. The European Union recorded an annual increase of 19,000. Youth unemployment remained well above the overall jobless rate in both areas.
Women continue to record higher jobless rates
Women continued to register higher unemployment rates than men in August. In the euro area, unemployment among women stood at 6.7%, compared with 6.2% for men. Both rates stayed unchanged from July. Across the European Union, the rate for women remained at 6.4%, while the rate for men held at 5.9%. The monthly data showed no change in either rate from July.
Eurostat calculates unemployment using harmonized definitions based on International Labour Organization standards. The measure covers people aged 15 to 74 who have no job and remain available for work. They must also have actively searched for employment during the previous four weeks. The unemployment rate measures that group as a share of the labor force. The next monthly update covering euro-area and EU unemployment is scheduled for October 30, 2026.