The euro area unemployment rate held at 6.5 per cent in September, but the number out of work rose by 122,000 to 11,555,000 people. Youth unemployment increased to 15.4 per cent. Eurostat also revised August’s headline rate upward, making September unchanged from the revised figure rather than from the previously published estimate.
Euro area unemployment held at a seasonally adjusted 6.5 per cent in September, while the number of people without work increased by 122,000 to 11,555,000 people. A year earlier, the rate had been 6.3 per cent. Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office, revised August’s rate from 6.4 per cent to 6.5 per cent before making the latest monthly comparison.[1], [2]
Among people under 25 in the euro area, unemployment rose from 15.1 per cent in August to 15.4 per cent in September. The youth jobless count reached 2,469,000 people, up by 69,000 over the month. Across the wider European Union, youth unemployment increased from 15.4 per cent to 15.5 per cent, with 3,022,000 people young people out of work.[1]
The European Union’s overall unemployment rate remained at 6.2 per cent. Its jobless count increased by 105,000 from August to 13,773,000 people. Eurostat uses the International Labour Organization definition: people must have no job, have actively searched within the previous four weeks and be available to start within two weeks. Rates express unemployment as a share of the relevant labour force.[1]
