Unemployment in the euro area edged up slightly in February, reaching 6.2% compared to the record low of 6.1% recorded in January, according to figures released by Eurostat. Across the European Union as a whole, the jobless rate remained unchanged for a third consecutive month at 5.9%.

Bulgaria reported an unemployment rate of 3.2% in February, the lowest among eurozone countries. The same level was also recorded by the Czech Republic and Poland across the wider EU. At the opposite end, Finland registered the highest unemployment at 10.4%, followed by Spain with 9.8%, while Sweden and Greece each posted 8.5%, and France stood at 7.8%.

On a monthly basis, Bulgaria saw a slight increase in unemployment from 3.1% in January to 3.2% in February 2026. However, compared to the same month a year earlier, when the rate was 3.5%, the figures indicate an overall improvement.

In absolute terms, 13.118 million people in the EU were unemployed in February, including 10.919 million in the euro area. This represents an increase of 137,000 across the EU and 93,000 within the eurozone compared to January. On an annual basis, however, unemployment declined slightly, falling by 18,000 in the EU and by 124,000 in the euro area.

In Bulgaria, the number of unemployed rose marginally to 96,000 in February from 95,000 a month earlier. Compared to February 2025, when 107,000 people were without work, the data reflects a decrease of 11,000.

Youth unemployment across the EU increased to 15.3% in February from 15.2% in January, while in the euro area it remained steady for a second straight month at 14.9%. In Bulgaria, the rate among people under 25 climbed to 12.5%, up from 12.2% the previous month and notably higher than the 10.5% recorded a year earlier.