In 2021, when measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic remained in place across the EU, the unemployment rate of people aged 15-74 continued to vary widely across the EU’s NUTS 2 regions. The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the Polish region of Warsaw-Capital and the Hungarian region of Central Transdanubia (both 2.1%), followed by the Polish region Wielkopolskie, the Hungarian region of West Transdanubia and the Czech region of Central Moravia (all three 2.2%), as well as the Czech region of Prague and the Polish region of Pomorskie (both 2.3%). The Czech regions of South-West, South-East and North-East (all three 2.4%) were also among the top 10 regions with the lowest unemployment rates.
At the opposite end of the scale, the highest unemployment rates were registered in the Spanish regions of Ceuta (26.6%), Canary Islands (23.2%) and Andalusia (21.7%), followed by West Macedonia in Greece (19.8%) and two further Spanish regions: Melilla (19.8%) and Extremadura (19.5%). The remaining top 10 regions with the highest unemployment were Campania (19.3%) and Sicily (18.7%) in Italy as well as South Aegean (18.8%) and East Macedonia, Thrace (18.5%) in Greece.
Compared with 2020, the highest increases in the unemployment rate were registered in the Romanian regions of North-East and South-West Oltenia (both +3.1 percentage points (pp)) and in the French region of Languedoc-Roussillon (+2.2 pp). By contrast, the highest decreases were in Western Greece (-5.8 pp), the Bulgarian region of North-West (-4.4 pp) and the Greek region of Epirus (-4.2 pp).
This information comes from regional data on the labour market in 2021 published by Eurostat today. The article presents only a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.
Source dataset: lfst_r_lfu3rt
Youth unemployment rates higher in Spanish, Greek and Italian regions
In 2021 the EU average unemployment rate for young people aged between 15 and 29 was 13.0%, a 0.9 pp decrease compared with 2020.
However, there are marked regional differences in the unemployment rates for young people. The lowest rates were recorded in the Czech region South-West (3.7%), the Polish region of Wielkopolskie (4.0%) and the Czech region of Central Moravia (4.4%). In contrast, the highest rate was recorded in the Spanish region of Ceuta (56.0%), followed by the Greek regions of East Macedonia, Thrace (45.1%) and West Macedonia (42.3%), as well as the Spanish region of Melilla (41.9%).
Source dataset: lfst_r_lfu3rt
For more information:
- These data on regional unemployment are compiled on the basis of the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS).
- They are based on the 2021 version of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). In the text of this article, the names of the regions are in English.
- Statistics Explained article on unemployment statistics at regional level
- Dedicated section on the labour market (including the Labour Force Survey)
- Database on employment and unemployment (Labour force survey)
- Dedicated section on regions
- Database on regions
Methodological notes:
- The Netherlands: Data are collected using a rolling reference week instead of a fixed reference week, i.e. interviewed persons are asked about the situation of the week before the interview rather than a pre-selected week.
- Germany: Due to data collection issues, data have low or very low reliability for some regions and therefore should be treated with caution.
- France: Mayotte (FRY5) is covered by a specific annual survey. As a result, data for this region should be treated with caution.
- Unemployment rate 15-74 with low reliability in 2021: Corsica (FRM0), Opolskie (PL52) and Podkarpackie (PL82)
- Unemployment rate 15-74 not available in 2021 because of very low reliability: Lubuskie (PL43) and Åland Islands (FI20).
- Unemployment rate 15-29 not available in 2021 because of very low reliability: Burgenland (AT11), Corsica (FRM0), Valle d’Aosta (ITC2), Zachodniopomorskie (PL42), Lubuskie (PL43), Opolskie (PL52), Warmińsko-mazurskie (PL62), Pomorskie (PL63), Świętokrzyskie (PL72), Podlaskie (PL84), Warsaw-Capital (PL91), Azores (PT20), Madeira (PT30), Åland Islands (FI20), and Bratislava (SK01).
- In this article, the youth unemployment rate is defined as the number of people aged 15 to 29 unemployed as a percentage of the labour force of the same age.
To contact us, please visit our User Support page.
For press queries, please contact our Media Support.