site.btaAugust Unemployment Slightly Down in Bulgaria, Stable in EU, Up in Euro Area M/M

Bulgaria’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.6% in August 2025, down from 3.7% in July and 4.0% in August 2024, according to data released by Eurostat on Thursday.

In August 2025, the euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3%, up from 6.2% in July 2025 and stable compared with August 2024. The EU unemployment rate was 5.9%, stable compared with July 2025 and with August 2024. 

Eurostat estimates that 13.089 million persons in the EU, of whom 10.842 million in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2025. Compared with July 2025, unemployment increased by 39,000 in the EU and by 11,000 in the euro area. Compared with August 2024, unemployment increased by 85,000 in the EU and decreased by 15,000 in the euro area.

The highest unemployment rates were recorded in Spain – 10.3%, Finland – 9.8%, and Sweden – 8.7%. The lowest were recorded in Malta and Slovenia – both at 2.9%, followed by Poland and the Czech Republic at 3.2%.

Youth unemployment

In August 2025, 2.819 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.220 million were in the euro area. In August 2025, the youth unemployment rate was 14.6% in the EU, up from 14.4% in July 2025, and 14.0% in the euro area, stable compared with the previous month.

Compared with July 2025, youth unemployment increased by 20,000 in the EU and decreased by 4,000 in the euro area.

Compared with August 2024, youth unemployment decreased by 147,000 in the EU and by 156,000 in the euro area.

Unemployment by sex

In August 2025, the unemployment rate for women was 6.0% in the EU and the unemployment rate for men was 5.8%, both stable compared with the previous month. In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.4% and the unemployment rate for men was 6.1%, both also stable compared with July 2025.