Germany has one of the lowest unemployment rates within the EU-27. 3.8% of the labour force (15- to 74-year-olds) were unemployed in December 2025. The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Czechia (3.1%), Malta and Poland (3.2% each) and Bulgaria (3.3%).
In the EU-27 a total of 13.0 million citizens were without employment in December 2025. This represents an unemployment rate of 5.9%. The highest unemployment rates were recorded in Finland (10.3%) and Spain (10.0%).
The youth unemployment rate was 14.7% in the EU. The lowest rates were observed in Germany (6.8%) and the Netherlands (9.2%), while the highest were recorded in Sweden (23.6%) and Spain (23.4%).
Data regarding unemployment in Europe can be found in the Eurostat Database and in an edition of Statistics Explained. The unemployment rates were published by the EU Statistics Office, Eurostat, in accordance with ILO standards. Last updated January 02, 2026.