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Photo: Stella Ivanova
In September 2025, unemployment in the euro area remained steady at 6.3% for the third month in a row, slightly above the historic low of 6.2% recorded in October and November 2024 and just above the pre-euro launch level in January 1999, according to Eurostat. Across the European Union, unemployment also held firm at 6.0%, maintaining the rate observed in August.
Spain continued to record the highest levels of joblessness at 10.5%, followed by Finland (9.8%), Sweden (8.7%), Greece (8.2%), and France (7.6%). On the opposite end of the spectrum, Malta and the Czech Republic reported unemployment of 3.0%, with Slovenia at 3.1% and Poland at 3.2%. Bulgaria’s unemployment rate fell to 3.5% from 3.6% in August, down from 4.0% a year earlier, placing it just behind the four EU countries with the lowest joblessness.
Unemployment rates in the EU and the euro area (in %)
Eurostat data indicate that in September 2025 there were 13.246 million unemployed people across the EU, including 11.003 million in the euro area. Compared with August, the EU saw an increase of 63,000 unemployed, while the euro area added 65,000. Year-on-year, the EU’s total unemployed rose by 227,000, with 187,000 more in the euro zone alone. In Bulgaria, the number of unemployed decreased to 106,000, down from 109,000 in August and 122,000 in September 2024.
Youth unemployment across the EU remained at 14.8%, while in the euro area it inched up to 14.4% from 14.3% the previous month. In Bulgaria, the youth unemployment rate fell to 14.5% from 15.2% in August but remains well above the 11.3% recorded in September 2024.
The data reflect a stable overall job market in the EU and euro area, with Bulgaria showing modest improvements in both general and youth employment figures compared to last year.
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