In 2021, there were 3.0 million unemployed young people (aged 15–24 years) in the EU and the youth unemployment rate was 16.6 %.

Among the EU’s metropolitan regions, the largest difference in the youth unemployment rate compared with the respective national average was recorded in Palermo (+26.1 percentage points (pp) compared with the national average for Italy). Youth unemployment rates were also more than 20.0 pp higher than the respective national averages in Messina (Italy; +25.3 pp), Les Abymes (France; +24.4 pp),Taranto (Italy; +24.0 pp), Las Palmas (Spain; +23.7 pp) and Napoli (Italy; +22.4 pp).

 

Line graph: Youth unemployment rates, 15-24 years, metropolitan regions with the largest differences compared with their national average, % share of labour force 2021

Source dataset: met_lfu3rt

 

In contrast, the youth unemployment rate was lower than the national average in Bergamo (-18.4 pp compared with the national average for Italy). Further low rates when compared with the respective national averages were registered in Bratislava (Slovakia; -18.0 pp), Brașov and Cluj-Napoca (Romania; both -13.7 pp) and Timișoara (Romania; -13.6 pp).

Along with Italy, there were considerable regional variations in youth unemployment rates across Romania and Spain. The youth unemployment rate in Craiova was 5.2 times as high as in Brașov; and in Las Palmas, it was 2.6 times as high as in Pamplona/Iruña, respectively.

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The publications on Rural Europe and Urban Europe feature subnational statistics with different territorial typologies by using intuitive visualisations, innovative data presentations and concise text.

Both publications have six chapters in common on education and training, the labour market, income and living conditions, and digital society and economy. Rural Europe contains another three chapters on demographic developments, women and men, and quality of life, while Urban Europe contains another four on demographic developments, economic activity, quality of life, and cities of equality.

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Methodological notes:

  • Cyprus and Luxembourg: not relevant (only one NUTS level 3 region covering the whole country).
  • Liberec (CZ) and several regions in Germany: not available.

 

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