Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area
Euro area: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 6.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area, 1990–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Euro area recorded 6.3% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area peaked at 12.0% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 2025.
That places Euro area 7th out of 33 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.1% | — |
| 1991 | 8.5% | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 9.1% | +7.8% |
| 1993 | 10.9% | +19.0% |
| 1994 | 12.0% | +10.0% |
| 1995 | 11.5% | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 11.7% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 11.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 11.2% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 10.5% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 9.6% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 8.7% | -9.8% |
| 2002 | 8.9% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 8.4% | -7.9% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +27.6% |
| 2010 | 10.2% | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | +11.2% |
| 2013 | 12.0% | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 10.0% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 8.1% | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | -8.0% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 6.7% | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 6.3% | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 6.3% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.5% | 8.1% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.5% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 7.4% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 6.3% | 7.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
More work & labour data for Euro area
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 42.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 70.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 75.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 82.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 57.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 62.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Euro area was 6.3% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 2013.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 2025.
- How does Euro area rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Euro area ranks 7th out of 33 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Euro area data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.