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EU at 5.8%

Overview

In March 2025, the euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2%, stable compared with February 2025 and down from 6.5% in March 2024. The EU unemployment rate was 5.8% in March 2025, also stable compared with February 2025 and down from 6.0% in March 2024. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat estimates that 12.904 million persons in the EU, of whom 10.818 million in the euro area, were unemployed in March 2025.

  • Compared with February 2025, unemployment increased by 74 thousand in the EU and by 83 thousand in the euro area.

  • Compared with March 2024, unemployment decreased by 340 thousand in the EU and by 288 thousand in the euro area.

Unemployment rates

Youth unemployment

In March 2025, 2.822 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.265 million were in the euro area. In March 2025, the youth unemployment rate was 14.5% in the EU, down from 14.6% in February 2025, and 14.2% in the euro area, down from 14.3% in the previous month.

  • Compared with February 2025, youth unemployment decreased by 25 thousand in the EU and by 19 thousand in the euro area.

  • Compared with March 2024, youth unemployment decreased by 63 thousand in the EU and by 43 thousand in the euro area.

   Youth unemployment rates 

Unemployment by sex

In March 2025, the unemployment rate for women was 6.0% in the EU, stable compared with the previous month, and the unemployment rate for men was 5.7%, up from 5.6% in February 2025. In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.4%, stable compared with the previous month, and the unemployment rate for men was 6.1%, up from 6.0% in February 2025.

Additional labour market indicators

The estimates in this News Release 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 fourth quarter of 2024.

LFS data for the first quarter of 2025 will be released on 13 June 2025.

Tables

Seasonally adjusted unemployment, totals

Rates (%)

Number of persons (in thousands)

2024

2025

2024

2025

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Euro area

6.5

6.2

6.2

6.2

6.2

11 106

10 729

10 762

10 735

10 818

EU

6.0

5.8

5.8

5.8

5.8

13 244

12 864

12 920

12 830

12 904

Belgium

5.7

6.0

5.8

5.9

5.9

302

324

318

322

323

Bulgaria

4.5

3.9

3.9

3.9

3.8

139

120

119

117

114

Czechia

2.9

2.7

2.4

2.7

2.6

151

139

129

146

139

Denmark

5.7

7.0

6.8

5.7

7.1

186

232

224

187

234

Germany

3.3

3.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

1 476

1 564

1 575

1 582

1 580

Estonia

7.7

7.8

7.9

8.6

8.7

58

58

59

65

66

Ireland

4.3

4.4

4.0

3.9

4.0

120

128

116

113

115

Greece

10.8

9.2

9.0

8.6

9.0

518

433

423

404

425

Spain

11.7

10.8

10.8

10.9

10.9

2 842

2 645

2 660

2 674

2 698

France

7.4

7.2

7.3

7.4

7.3

2 310

2 259

2 270

2 317

2 300

Croatia

5.3

4.6

4.6

4.5

4.5

94

81

80

80

80

Italy

6.9

6.3

6.2

5.9

6.0

1 763

1 611

1 603

1 523

1 555

Cyprus

5.1

4.9

5.0

4.9

4.8

26

25

26

25

25

Latvia

6.9

6.9

6.9

6.9

6.7

66

65

65

65

63

Lithuania

7.3

6.4

6.6

6.6

6.4

115

99

105

102

101

Luxembourg

6.0

6.4

6.4

6.5

6.4

20

22

22

22

22

Hungary

4.3

4.4

4.3

4.3

4.2

211

215

210

211

205

Malta

3.4

3.0

2.9

2.8

2.8

11

10

10

10

10

Netherlands

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.8

3.9

371

373

386

392

395

Austria

5.0

5.4

5.4

5.3

5.4

233

253

259

248

260

Poland

2.9

2.7

2.6

2.6

2.7

510

475

467

469

473

Portugal

6.5

6.5

6.4

6.5

6.5

352

355

355

357

359

Romania

5.2

5.7

5.5

5.6

5.5

439

463

451

457

453

Slovenia

3.4

3.4

3.3

3.3

3.2

36

35

34

34

33

Slovakia

5.5

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.0

153

142

141

140

139

Finland

8.1

8.8

8.9

9.0

9.1

230

249

252

256

259

Sweden

8.3

8.7

8.7

8.7

8.8

473

498

501

503

504

Iceland

3.5

3.5

3.6

:

:

8

8

8

:

:

Norway

3.9

4.0

4.1

4.1

4.1

118

122

123

123

124

Switzerland

4.1

4.5

:

:

:

206

232

:

:

:

United States

3.9

4.1

4.0

4.1

4.2

6 434

6 930

6 898

7 126

7 060

Seasonally adjusted youth (under 25s) unemployment

Rates (%)

Number of persons (in thousands)

2024

2025

2024

2025

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Euro area

14.5

14.2

14.3

14.3

14.2

2 308

2 257

2 272

2 284

2 265

EU

14.8

14.6

14.7

14.6

14.5

2 885

2 836

2 864

2 847

2 822

Belgium

16.9

17.6

17.0

17.0

17.0

72

82

81

81

81

Bulgaria

14.5

9.6

10.2

10.7

11.0

18

11

12

12

13

Czechia

7.8

9.3

10.2

10.0

10.5

21

26

30

30

32

Denmark

14.5

16.2

16.1

12.2

16.3

74

82

79

59

81

Germany

6.4

6.7

6.6

6.5

6.5

295

311

308

305

301

Estonia

16.2

19.0

18.0

19.0

19.1

9

11

11

11

11

Ireland

10.1

12.6

11.9

11.6

11.6

37

45

42

41

41

Greece

22.7

22.0

22.8

18.6

25.2

58

51

55

48

59

Spain

26.9

25.6

26.1

26.4

26.6

473

457

463

468

477

France

18.1

18.3

18.3

18.9

17.6

610

598

602

626

574

Croatia

17.1

16.2

16.1

16.1

16.1

21

19

19

19

19

Italy

20.0

18.6

18.6

17.3

19.0

296

265

266

247

272

Cyprus

15.7

9.7

9.9

9.9

9.9

5

3

3

3

3

Latvia

11.9

13.3

12.7

12.3

11.4

8

8

8

8

7

Lithuania

13.3

11.8

14.1

13.7

14.3

13

11

14

14

16

Luxembourg

22.0

21.5

21.5

21.7

21.4

6

6

6

6

6

Hungary

15.3

14.4

13.8

14.2

14.1

47

44

42

43

43

Malta

8.2

9.5

8.8

8.4

7.7

2

3

3

2

2

Netherlands

8.7

8.7

8.9

8.8

8.9

158

158

162

160

162

Austria

9.9

10.3

11.0

12.2

11.3

52

54

59

62

60

Poland

11.1

10.3

10.5

10.6

10.9

123

119

120

122

125

Portugal

23.2

20.5

20.5

21.0

20.7

87

80

79

80

79

Romania

19.7

26.3

:

:

:

103

135

:

:

:

Slovenia

10.1

9.2

7.3

7.3

7.3

8

7

5

5

5

Slovakia

21.1

17.0

16.6

16.3

16.2

30

24

23

23

22

Finland

18.4

19.7

19.9

20.1

20.2

59

64

65

66

67

Sweden

24.0

24.1

24.0

23.9

23.8

164

164

164

164

163

Iceland

8.4

8.7

8.7

:

:

3

3

3

:

:

Norway

11.2

12.7

11.5

12.6

13.9

48

56

51

58

61

Switzerland

7.8

8.8

:

:

:

45

53

:

:

:

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates (%), by sex

Males

Females

2024

2025

2024

2025

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Mar

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Euro area

6.1

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.1

6.9

6.4

6.4

6.4

6.4

EU

5.7

5.6

5.7

5.6

5.7

6.4

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

Belgium

6.3

6.3

6.2

6.3

6.3

5.0

5.5

5.4

5.5

5.5

Bulgaria

4.6

4.5

4.4

4.3

4.2

4.4

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.3

Czechia

2.3

2.2

2.2

2.2

2.2

3.6

3.2

2.7

3.4

3.2

Denmark

5.5

7.0

6.6

4.9

7.0

5.9

7.1

7.0

6.6

7.2

Germany

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.0

3.2

3.2

3.2

3.2

Estonia

7.3

8.4

8.2

9.0

9.2

8.2

7.1

7.6

8.3

8.3

Ireland

4.2

4.8

4.0

3.9

3.9

4.3

4.0

4.1

4.0

4.1

Greece

8.1

7.3

7.2

6.4

6.9

14.3

11.5

11.3

11.2

11.7

Spain

10.5

9.6

9.7

9.7

9.8

13.1

12.1

12.1

12.2

12.2

France

7.5

7.4

7.5

7.7

7.7

7.3

7.0

7.0

7.0

6.9

Croatia

5.0

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.7

5.7

4.4

4.3

4.3

4.3

Italy

5.9

5.7

5.6

5.4

5.6

8.2

7.0

7.0

6.6

6.5

Cyprus

4.9

4.5

4.5

4.4

4.2

5.4

5.3

5.5

5.4

5.3

Latvia

7.7

8.4

8.6

8.6

8.2

6.2

5.5

5.3

5.3

5.3

Lithuania

7.7

7.0

7.6

7.7

7.7

6.9

5.7

5.6

5.4

5.1

Luxembourg

6.1

6.5

6.5

6.6

6.6

5.9

6.3

6.3

6.3

6.3

Hungary

4.4

4.4

4.3

4.3

4.2

4.2

4.4

4.2

4.3

4.1

Malta

3.6

2.9

2.8

2.8

2.7

3.0

3.2

3.1

3.0

2.9

Netherlands

3.5

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.7

3.8

3.9

4.0

4.0

4.1

Austria

5.0

5.7

5.6

5.5

5.5

4.9

5.0

5.2

5.0

5.4

Poland

2.7

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.5

3.0

2.9

2.8

2.8

2.9

Portugal

5.6

6.2

6.1

6.0

5.9

7.4

6.7

6.8

7.0

7.1

Romania

5.4

5.9

5.8

5.7

5.6

4.9

5.3

5.1

5.3

5.4

Slovenia

3.2

2.8

2.8

2.7

2.6

3.7

4.2

4.0

3.9

3.9

Slovakia

5.0

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

6.1

5.8

5.8

5.7

5.7

Finland

8.9

9.4

9.5

9.7

9.8

7.2

8.1

8.2

8.3

8.3

Sweden

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.3

9.0

9.0

9.0

9.0

Iceland

3.8

3.8

3.9

:

:

3.1

3.2

3.2

:

:

Norway

4.1

4.3

3.9

4.1

4.6

3.6

4.0

3.6

3.9

4.3

Switzerland

3.9

4.3

:

:

:

4.3

4.8

:

:

:

Notes for users

Revisions and timetable

The data in this News Release can be subject to revisions, caused by updates to the seasonally adjusted series whenever new monthly data are added; the inclusion of the most recent LFS data in the calculation process; update of seasonal adjustment models with complete annual data.

Compared with the rates published in News Release of 1 April 2025, the February 2025 unemployment rate for the euro area has been revised from 6.1% to 6.2% and the unemployment rate for the EU has been revised from 5.7% to 5.8%. Among EU Member States, the rate has been revised by more than 0.1 percentage points (pp) downwards for Sweden (by 0.3 pp). The rate has been revised by more than 0.1 percentage points (pp) upwards for Estonia (by 0.9 pp), Spain (by 0.5 pp) and Finland (by 0.2 pp).

Country notes

Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden as well as Iceland and Norway: the trend component is used instead of the more volatile seasonally adjusted data.

Estonia and Portugal: 3-month moving averages of LFS data are used instead of pure monthly indicators.

France: Estimates are calculated using inputs from the French public employment service. An updated national methodology (in French) is in use since January 2025, affecting the time series consistency of the input data. To ensure the comparability of monthly unemployment figures published in this article, Eurostat compiled the evolution between December 2024 and January 2025 youth unemployment figures using statistical models.

Methods and definitions

Eurostat publishes harmonised unemployment rates for individual EU Member States, the euro area and the EU. These unemployment rates are based on the definition recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The measurement is based on a harmonised data source, the European Union Labour Force Survey (LFS).

Based on the ILO definition, Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who:

  • are without work;

  • are available to start work within the next two weeks;

  • and have actively sought employment at some time during the previous four weeks.

The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force.

The labour force is the total number of people employed plus unemployed. In this news release unemployment rates are based on employment and unemployment data covering persons aged 15 to 74.

The youth unemployment rate is the number of people aged 15 to 24 unemployed as a percentage of the labour force of the same age. Therefore, the youth unemployment rate should not be interpreted as the share of jobless people in the overall youth population.

When data for the most recent month are not available for a Member State, EU and EA aggregates are calculated using the latest data available for that Member State.

Geographical information

Euro area (EA20): Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

European Union (EU27): Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

For more information

Get in touch

Media requests

Eurostat Media Support

E-mail: eurostat-mediasupport@ec.europa.eu

Further information on data

Thibaut HENRION

Phone: (+352) 4301 31 686

Nevena CHOLAKOVA

Phone: (+352) 4301 35 304

E-mail: estat-monthly-unemployment@ec.europa.eu

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