April 07, 2026
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 6.2% in February 2026, up from 6.1% in January 2026 and down from 6.3% in February 2025. Over the same period, the EU unemployment rate stood at 5.9%, unchanged from January 2026 and lower than 6.0% in February 2025.
Eurostat estimates that 13.118 million persons were unemployed in the EU in February 2026, of whom 10.919 million lived in the euro area. Compared with January 2026, unemployment increased by 137 thousand in the EU and by 93 thousand in the euro area. Compared with February 2025, unemployment declined by 18 thousand in the EU and by 124 thousand in the euro area.
Youth unemployment
In February 2026, 2.957 million young people (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, including 2.373 million in the euro area. The youth unemployment rate rose to 15.3% in the EU, from 15.2% in January 2026, while it remained stable at 14.9% in the euro area.
Compared with January 2026, youth unemployment increased by 18 thousand in the EU and by 5 thousand in the euro area. Relative to February 2025, youth unemployment rose by 5 thousand in the EU but declined by 8 thousand in the euro area.
Unemployment by sex
In February 2026, the EU unemployment rate for women increased slightly to 6.1%, from 6.0% in January 2026, while the rate for men remained unchanged at 5.7%. In the euro area, unemployment among women rose to 6.4% (from 6.3%), whereas the rate for men was stable at 6.0%.
(Source: Eurostat)
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