Unemployment in Euro Area
The Euro area's unemployment rate has nearly halved since 2014, reflecting strong labor demand, population ageing over the last decade, and government efforts to better match job seekers' skills to labor market opportunities. However, the unemployment remains higher than the G7 average, and there are huge disparities among members states.
In the year 2024, the unemployment in Euro Area was 6.36%, compared to 11.72% in 2014 and 6.56% in 2023. It averaged 8.47% over the last decade. For more unemployment information, visit our dedicated page.
Euro Area Unemployment Chart
Note: This chart displays Unemployment Rate for Euro Area from 2014 to 2024.
Source: Macrobond.
Euro Area Unemployment Data
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unemployment (% of active population, aop) | 8.0 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
Unemployment (% of active population, eop) | 8.2 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 |
Unemployment rate falls in April
Latest reading: In April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 6.2% from March’s upwardly revised 6.3%. The figure matched the record low set in December. As for the Eurozone’s largest economies, the unemployment rate fell in France, Italy and the Netherlands, and stabilized in Germany and Spain. Significant disparities in labor market conditions between members persist: Spain was the economy with the highest unemployment rate in April (10.9%), followed by Finland (9.1%). At the other end of the spectrum, Malta (2.7%) and Germany (3.6%) had the lowest unemployment rates.
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects European unemployment projections for the next ten years from a panel of 46 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable unemployment forecast available for European unemployment.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our European unemployment projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of European unemployment forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global Unemployment News
-
Australia: Labor market softens in June Latest reading: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in June from 4.1% in May, above market estimates. The... -
United States: Job gains beat expectations in June Latest reading: US nonfarm payrolls increased by 147,000 in June 2025, up from a revised 144,000 in May and exceeding... -
Greece: Unemployment rate falls in May Latest reading: May’s data sent positive signals regarding the health of the labor market. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell... -
Euro Area: Unemployment rate rises in May Latest reading: In May, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 6.3% from April’s record-low of 6.2%. As for the... -
Australia: Unemployment rate unchanged for fifth consecutive month as expected in May Latest reading: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1% in May for the fifth month running and in... -
United States: Job gains beat expectations in May Latest reading: Total non-farm payrolls grew by 139,000 in May, below the downwardly revised 147,000 gain in April but above... -
Euro Area: Unemployment rate falls in April Latest reading: In April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 6.2% from March’s upwardly revised 6.3%. The figure matched...