Euro area

Euro area — Unemployment

Name: Unemployment rate (% of labour force)
Creator: World Bank

Euro area desk: EMU aggregate first; Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom and United States alongside.

6.28%

−0.06 pp

As of 2025 | % of labour force

Mean: 9.33%
Median: 9.17%
Min: 6.28% 2025
Max: 12.02% 2013

Year	Value
2025	6.28%
2024	6.35%
2023	6.52%
2022	6.73%
2021	7.69%
2020	7.78%
2019	7.44%
2018	8.09%
2017	9.01%
2016	9.99%
2015	10.85%
2014	11.62%
2013	12.02%
2012	11.43%
2011	10.28%
2010	10.18%
2009	9.57%
2008	7.50%
2007	7.52%
2006	8.44%
2005	9.17%
2004	9.35%
2003	9.12%
2002	8.89%

#CountryUnemploymentChangeYear

37Spain10.38%−1.02 pp2025

57France7.54%+0.14 pp2025 71Italy6.39%−0.11 pp2025 73Euro area6.28%−0.06 pp2025 109United Kingdom4.75%+0.39 pp2025 111Ireland4.63%+0.33 pp2025 120United States4.20%+0.18 pp2025

123Netherlands3.87%+0.17 pp2025

127Germany3.71%+0.31 pp2025

What the unemployment rate is

The unemployment rate is the share of the labour force without work but available for and seeking work. World Bank indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS, ILO modelled estimates — a common definition across economies, not a national labour-force survey. Latest: 6.28% in 2025.

A rise is more people unemployed relative to the labour force, not necessarily more people out of work if participation also moves. From 1991 to 2025 (35 years): mean 9.33%, median 9.17%; low 6.28% (2025), high 12.02% (2013).

Source: World Bank Open Data. Licence: CC BY 4.0 (terms).