Finland reported the highest unemployment rate in the EU in September 2026

Finland reported an unemployment rate of 10.5% in September 2026, the highest rate in the European Union, according to new data from Eurostat.

Spain was the only other European country to report a double-digit unemployment rate for the month (10.3%), while other countries to report a notably high rate included Sweden (8.7%), France (8.5%) and Greece (7.6%).

Malta, Bulgaria and Poland recorded the lowest rates, with each at 3.4%.

Unemployment rate

Unemployment across the euro area and European Union remained stable in September 2026 compared with the previous month, but both rates were higher than a year earlier, Eurostat’s data showed.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area stood at 6.5%, unchanged from August but up from 6.3% in September 2025. Across the EU, the rate was 6.2%, also unchanged month on month, compared with 6.0% a year earlier.

The data showed that 13.773 million people were unemployed across the EU in September, including 11.555 million in the euro area. This number increased by 105,000 in the EU and 122,000 in the euro area compared with August.

Year on year, unemployment rose by 471,000 across the EU and 420,000 in the euro area.

Youth unemployment

Youth unemployment also increased during the month. The unemployment rate for people under 25 reached 15.5% in the EU, compared with 15.4% in August. In the euro area, it rose from 15.1% to 15.4%.

Eurostat estimated that 3.022 million young people were unemployed across the EU in September, including 2.469 million in the euro area. Compared with August, youth unemployment increased by 44,000 in the EU and 69,000 in the euro area.

Elsewhere, at an EU level, the unemployment rate for women was 6.4%, compared with 6.0% for men. In the euro area, the respective rates were 6.7% and 6.4%. Read more here.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment, September 2026

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