Euro area unemployment rate at 7.5%

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.5% in October 2019, down from 7.6% in September 2019 and from 8.0% in October 2018. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since July 2008.

The average unemployment rate for the 28 member states of the European Union (EU) was 6.3% in October 2019, stable compared with September 2019 and down from 6.7% in October 2018.

This rate also remains the lowest recorded in the EU28 since the start of the EU monthly unemployment series in January 2000.

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

15.58 million unemployed in the EU

Eurostat estimates that 15.58 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.33 million in the euro area, were unemployed in October 2019.

Compared with September 2019, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 29 000 in the EU28 and by 31 000 in the euro area. Compared with October 2018, unemployment fell by 939,000 in the EU28 and by 761,000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in October 2019 were recorded in Czechia (2.2%), Germany (3.1%) and Poland (3.2%).

The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (16.7% in August 2019) and Spain (14.2%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in 24 Member States, while it increased in Czechia (from 2.1% to 2.2%), Lithuania (from 6.1% to 6.4%), Denmark (from 4.9% to 5.3%) and Sweden (from 6.4% to 6.8%).

The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 18.9% to 16.7% between August 2018 and August 2019) and Estonia (from 5.7% to 4.3% between September 2018 and September 2019).

In October 2019, the unemployment rate in the United States was 3.6%, up from 3.5% in September 2019 and down from 3.8% in October 2018.

Youth unemployment

In October 2019, 3.24 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.26 million were in the euro area.

Compared with October 2018, youth unemployment decreased by 160,000 in the EU28 and by 147,000 in the euro area.

In October 2019, the youth unemployment rate was 14.4% in the EU28 and 15.6% in the euro area, compared with 15.1% and 16.7% respectively in October 2018.

In October 2019, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (5.5%), Germany (5.8%) and the Netherlands (7.3%), while the highest were recorded in Greece (33.1% in the second quarter of 2019), Spain (32.8%) and Italy (27.8%).