Euro Area Unemployment Rate

The Euro Area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate eased for the second month to 6.2% in December 2025, tying the record lows from late 2024 and down from 6.3% in November. Analysts had expected it to remain steady at 6.3%. The number of unemployed decreased by 61,000 from the prior month to 10.792 million. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate, reflecting those under 25 seeking employment, ticked down to 14.3% in December from the downwardly revised 14.4% the month before. Among the bloc’s largest economies, Germany (3.8%) and the Netherlands (4%) registered the lowest jobless rates, while Spain (10%), France (7.7%), and Italy (5.6%) recorded the highest. A year ago, the jobless rate was slightly lower at 6.3%. In the broader European Union, the jobless rate remained steady for the second month at 5.9%.