Unemployment in the European Union remains close to its lowest historical levels, with the labor market continuing to show resilience despite economic slowdowns in several member states. According to the latest data published by Eurostat, the unemployment rate stood at 6% in the EU and 6.2% in the Eurozone.

Eurostat estimates that approximately 13.2 million people in the European Union are unemployed, with nearly 11 millionof them living in Eurozone countries. Compared to a year earlier, the European labor market has remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations in unemployment rates.

However, the situation remains more challenging for young people. In the EU, the unemployment rate among those under the age of 25 reached 15.4%, while in the Eurozone it stood at 14.9%. Eurostat estimates that nearly 3 million young Europeans are currently unemployed.

The countries with the lowest unemployment rates are Czechia (3.1%), Bulgaria (3.2%), and Poland (3.3%). At the other end of the spectrum, the highest unemployment rates were recorded in Finland (10.4%) and Spain (10.3%).

The data also show that unemployment remains higher among women. Across the European Union, the unemployment rate for women was 6.2%, compared with 5.7% for men. In the Eurozone, the gap is even more pronounced, with unemployment standing at 6.5% for women and 6% for men.

Meanwhile, in Albania, although overall unemployment has fallen to around 8.3%, challenges remain greater for young people. According to data from INSTAT, youth unemployment reached 15.1% by the end of 2025. Despite the fact that the number of young people in Albania has declined by approximately 40% between 2019 and 2025, mainly due to emigration and declining birth rates, the labor market continues to struggle to provide sufficient employment opportunities for this age group.