New lows for EU unemployment in 2024

In 2024, the unemployment rate for 15-74 years old in the EU fell to 5.9% of the labour force, marking a historic low since the beginning of the time series in 2009.
The long-term unemployment rate, as a percentage of the labour force, was 1.9% in 2024. This was similarly the lowest level in the entire available time series.
Among the EU countries, Greece recorded the highest long-term unemployment rate, at 5.4%, followed by Spain (3.8%) and Slovakia (3.5%). By contrast, the Netherlands (0.5%), Malta (0.7%), and Czechia, Denmark and Poland (all at 0.8%) had the lowest rates.
Source dataset: une_ltu_a
15% of young people unemployed
Regarding young people aged 15 to 24 years, the unemployment rate was 14.9%, up 0.4 percentage points (pp) compared with 2023.
For other age groups, the unemployment rates were much lower in 2024 and slightly declining compared with the previous year. For those aged 25-54, the unemployment rate was 5.4%, (down 0.1 pp), while it was 4.1% for those aged 55-74 (down 0.2 pp).
The overall unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 to 74 declined by 0.2 pp from 6.1% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024.
Source dataset: une_rt_a
For more information
- Statistics explained article on unemployment statistics and beyond
- Statistics explained article on labour market slack - employment supply and demand mismatch
- Thematic section on employment and unemployment
- Database on employment and unemployment
Methodological notes
- All figures are based on the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS).
- Long-term unemployment is defined as being unemployed for 12 months or more.
- Youth unemployment: low reliability for Croatia and Luxembourg. Definition differs for Spain and France.
- Long-term unemployment: low reliability for Croatia and Malta. Definition differs for Spain and France.
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