Unemployment statistics
Monthly data
Data up to September 2024
Planned article update: 2 December 2024.
Highlights
Euro area unemployment at 6.3% in September 2024.
EU unemployment at 5.9% in September 2024.
Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
This article presents the very latest unemployment figures for the European Union (EU), the Euro area and individual EU countries. Additional information about long-term trends can be found in the article Unemployment statistics and beyond.
Full article
Unemployment in the EU and the Euro area
Eurostat estimates that 13.042 million persons in the EU[1], of whom 10.884 million in the Euro area (EA)[2], were unemployed in September 2024. Compared with August 2024, unemployment increased by 61 000 in the EU and by 13 000 in the Euro area. Compared with September 2023, unemployment decreased by 226 000 in the EU and by 330 000 in the Euro area.
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Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
In September 2024, the Euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3%, stable compared with August 2024 and down from 6.6% in September 2023. The EU unemployment rate was 5.9% in September 2024, also stable compared with August 2024 and down from 6.1% in September 2023.
Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
Youth unemployment
In September 2024, 2.861 million young persons (under 25 years) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.287 million were in the Euro area. In September 2024, the youth unemployment rate was 14.8% in the EU, up from 14.5% in August 2024, and 14.4% in the Euro area, up from 14.3% in the previous month. Compared with August 2024, youth unemployment increased by 44 000 in the EU and by 10 000 in the Euro area. Compared with September 2023, youth unemployment decreased by 16 000 in the EU and by 68 000 in the Euro area.
Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
Unemployment by sex
In September 2024, the unemployment rate for women was 6.1% in the EU, stable compared with the previous month, and the unemployment rate for men was 5.8%, up from 5.7% in August 2024. In the Euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.5%, stable compared with the previous month, and the unemployment rate for men was 6.1%, also stable compared with August 2024.
Registered unemployment of refugees from Ukraine
After the outbreak of Russian aggression in Ukraine in February 2022, people fleeing the war have been given temporary protection in the EU under the EU Temporary Protection scheme. The rights for beneficiaries of the scheme include access to employment, subject to rules applicable to the profession and to national labour market policies and general conditions of employment.
Eurostat invited EU countries and EFTA countries to provide data on people fleeing the war in Ukraine with respect to their situation on the labour market. In particular, monthly data were collected on those refugees that are registered as unemployed in the national public employment services.
Since March 2022, different countries have been able to provide data on registered unemployed refugees. For March 2022, data are available only from 14 EU countries and Switzerland. The coverage increased up to 21 EU countries and Switzerland for July 2024, while for August and September 2024 data were still not yet available for some of those countries. In general, data are available for border countries with Ukraine and the largest EU countries, except Italy, although the coverage varies over the months. The data only cover people registered in the national public employment services and not necessarily all people seeking a job at a certain point in time.
Below, an analysis of the currently available data is presented.
-September.png)
As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the results are as follows:
- In September 2024, 267 000 refugees from Ukraine benefiting from the EU Temporary Protection scheme were registered as unemployed in the 19 countries that provided such data to Eurostat.
- In August 2024, 294 000 refugees from Ukraine benefiting from the EU Temporary Protection scheme were registered as unemployed in the 21 countries that provided such data to Eurostat.
- In July 2024, 283 000 refugees from Ukraine benefiting from the EU Temporary Protection scheme were registered as unemployed in the 22 countries that provided such data to Eurostat.
- Most countries provided not only total numbers, but also information on age and sex. Of the registered unemployed refugees from Ukraine in September 2024 for whom information on age and sex was available, 159 000 were women aged 25 years and over, while 73 000 were men aged 25 years and over (see Figure 5). Moreover, 34 000 persons under the age of 25 years were registered as unemployed in September 2024.
-September.png)
Source data for tables and graphs
The detailed tables 
are available here.
Data sources
These estimates are based on the globally used International Labour Organisation (ILO) standard definition of unemployment, which counts as unemployed people without a job who have been actively seeking work in the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks.
To capture in full the labour market situation, the data on unemployment have been complemented by additional indicators, e.g. underemployed part-time workers, persons seeking work but not immediately available and persons available to work but not seeking, released together with LFS data for the second quarter of 2024. LFS data for the third quarter of 2024 will be released on 13 December 2024.
An unemployed person is defined by Eurostat, according to the guidelines of the International Labour Organization, as someone aged 15-74 years without work during the reference week who is available to start work within the next two weeks and who has actively sought employment at some time during the last four weeks. The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force.
In addition to the unemployment measures covered here, Eurostat also publishes statistics for persons who fulfil only partially the definition of unemployment. These persons are not included in the official ILO unemployment concept and have a varying degree of attachment to the labour market. The indicators on Labour market slack - employment supply and demand mismatch supplement the unemployment rate to provide a more complete picture of the labour market.
The quarterly LFS results are always used as a benchmark to ensure international comparability. As for most Member States the results from the LFS for a full quarter are available 75 days after the end of the reference period, the most recent figures are usually provisional. For many countries monthly unemployment data are calculated by Eurostat, while several countries actually supply those figures directly from the LFS.
The following LFS data are used in the calculations of the monthly unemployment rates published in this article:
- For Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Sweden as well as Norway: monthly LFS data up to and including September 2024.
- For Estonia and Portugal: monthly data (3 month moving average) up to and including August, September and October 2024.
- For Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia: quarterly data up and including Q2 2024.
- For Spain: quarterly data up and including Q3 2024.
Monthly unemployment and employment series are calculated first at the level of four categories for each Member State (males and females 15-24 years, males and females 25-74 years). These series are then seasonally adjusted and all the national and European aggregates are calculated. Monthly unemployment figures are published by Eurostat as rates (as a percentage of the labour force) or levels (in thousands), by gender and for two age groups (persons aged 15-24 years, and those aged 25-74 years). The figures are available as unadjusted, seasonally adjusted and trend series. There are monthly estimates for all EU Member States. Data for the EU aggregate start in 2000 and for the Euro area in April 1998; the starting point for individual Member States varies.
Member States may publish other rates such as register-based unemployment rates, or rates based on the national LFS or corresponding surveys. These rates may vary from those published by Eurostat due to a different definition or methodological choices.
The figures on registered unemployment of refugees from Ukraine are purely register-based unemployment data. Countries' definitions may differ.
Countries providing data on unemployed refugees from Ukraine registered in public employment services per month in the last 12 reference months (see country codes):
September 2023: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, CH
October 2023: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, CH
November 2023: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
December 2023: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
January 2024: AT, BE, BG, CY DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
February 2024: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
March 2024: AT, BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
April 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
May 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
June 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
July 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
August 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, CH
September 2024: BE, BG, CY, DE, DK, EL, ES, FI, HR, IE, LV, LT, LU, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, CH
Context
The unemployment rate is an important indicator with both social and economic dimensions. Rising unemployment results in a loss of income for individuals, increased pressure with respect to government spending on social benefits and a reduction in tax revenue. From an economic perspective, unemployment may be viewed as unused labour capacity.
The International Labour Organization definition of the unemployment rate is the most widely used labour market indicator because of its international comparability and relatively timely availability. Besides the unemployment rate, indicators such as employment and job vacancies also give useful insights into labour market developments.
The time series on unemployment are used by the European Commission, other public institutions, and the media as an economic indicator; banks may use the data for business cycle analysis. Finally, the general public might also be interested in changes in unemployment.
The unemployment rate is considered to be a lagging indicator. When there is an economic downturn, it usually takes several months before the unemployment rate begins to rise. Once the economy starts to pick up again, employers usually remain cautious about hiring new staff and it may take several months before unemployment rates start to fall.
Male, youth and long-term unemployment appear to be more susceptible to cyclical economic changes than overall unemployment. Indeed, social policymakers often face the challenge of remedying these situations by designing ways to increase employment opportunities for various groups of society, those working in particular economic activities, or those living in specific regions.
The EU is committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and pursues progress towards them together with EU priorities, including employment targets on the EU level. Unemployment rates (of youth) are targeted via a range of policies, including proposals aimed at education and training institutions, or measures for the creation of a (work) environment conducive to higher activity rates and higher labour productivity. There are also initiatives aimed at improving the entry rate of young people into the labour market.
Direct access to
- LFS main indicators (t_lfsi)
- Unemployment - LFS adjusted series (t_une)
- LFS series - detailed annual survey results (t_lfsa)
- Unemployment rates of the population aged 25-64 years by level of education (tps00066)
- LFS main indicators (lfsi)
- Unemployment - LFS adjusted series (une)
- LFS series - detailed quarterly survey results (from 1998)
- Total unemployment - LFS series (lfsq_unemp)
- LFS series - Detailed annual survey results (lfsa)
- Total unemployment - LFS series (lfsa_unemp)
Notes
- ↑ In line with Eurostat's guidelines for disseminating data when the EU is enlarged, aggregate data series in this article refer to the official composition of the EU in the most recent month for which data are available; from February 2020 onwards this is the EU with 27 Member States, (EU).
- ↑ In line with Eurostat's guidelines for disseminating data when the Euro area is enlarged, aggregate data series in this article refer to the official composition of the Euro area in the most recent month for which data are available; from the reference month of January 2023 onwards this will be the Euro area with 20 countries, (EA).