| Consensus | Consensus Range | Actual | Previous | Revised | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | 6.1% | 6.1% to 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.2% |
Highlights
In March 2025, the euro area labour market showed gradual improvement, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 6.2 percent, its lowest level in a year. Despite a monthly increase of 83,000 jobless individuals, the total number of unemployed fell by 288,000 compared to March 2024, suggesting ongoing recovery momentum.
Youth unemployment offered a cautiously optimistic signal, declining slightly to 14.2 percent, with 2.265 million young people out of work, a modest reduction from the previous month and year. However, the pace of progress remains uneven. Gender disparities persist, while female unemployment remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, the rate for men edged up to 6.1 percent, hinting at underlying volatility in male-dominated sectors.
Among the biggest economies in the area, the national unemployment rate did not change between February and March in Spain (10.9 percent after 10.9 percent) and Germany (3.5 percent after 3.5 percent). However, it increased in Italy (6.0 percent after 5.9 percent) but fell slightly in France (7.3 percent after 7.4 percent).
In essence, the euro area's labour market shows resilience, yet the rise in monthly joblessness signals that vulnerabilities remain, particularly for young people and across gender lines. The latest update takes the euro area RPI to 4 and the RPI-P to minus 9, meaning that economic activities are within the zone's expectations.
Youth unemployment offered a cautiously optimistic signal, declining slightly to 14.2 percent, with 2.265 million young people out of work, a modest reduction from the previous month and year. However, the pace of progress remains uneven. Gender disparities persist, while female unemployment remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, the rate for men edged up to 6.1 percent, hinting at underlying volatility in male-dominated sectors.
Among the biggest economies in the area, the national unemployment rate did not change between February and March in Spain (10.9 percent after 10.9 percent) and Germany (3.5 percent after 3.5 percent). However, it increased in Italy (6.0 percent after 5.9 percent) but fell slightly in France (7.3 percent after 7.4 percent).
In essence, the euro area's labour market shows resilience, yet the rise in monthly joblessness signals that vulnerabilities remain, particularly for young people and across gender lines. The latest update takes the euro area RPI to 4 and the RPI-P to minus 9, meaning that economic activities are within the zone's expectations.
Market Consensus Before Announcement
The jobless rate is expected to hold steady at 6.1 percent in March from 6.1 percent in February.
Definition
The unemployment rate measures the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force.
Description
Unemployment data are closely monitored by the financial markets. These data give a comprehensive report on the state of the economy and its future direction. A rising unemployment rate can be a warning sign of hard times while a low rate can be a warning of inflation as wages are bid up to attract labor.
Unemployment data are expressed in both a numerical value and as a percentage of the labor force. Generally, the definition of those unemployed follows that of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It states that an unemployed person is one between the ages of 15 to 74 years of age who was not employed during the reference week, had actively sought work during the past four weeks and was ready to begin working immediately or within two weeks. The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed persons over the total number of active persons in the labor market. Active persons are those who are either employed or unemployed.
Eurostat provides an unemployment rate for each EU country as well as for the EMU and EU as a whole. It should be noted that the unemployment rate for a country will frequently differ with that reported by the national statistics agency. That is because of the varying interpretations of the ILO definition by member states and Eurostat.
Unemployment data are expressed in both a numerical value and as a percentage of the labor force. Generally, the definition of those unemployed follows that of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It states that an unemployed person is one between the ages of 15 to 74 years of age who was not employed during the reference week, had actively sought work during the past four weeks and was ready to begin working immediately or within two weeks. The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed persons over the total number of active persons in the labor market. Active persons are those who are either employed or unemployed.
Eurostat provides an unemployment rate for each EU country as well as for the EMU and EU as a whole. It should be noted that the unemployment rate for a country will frequently differ with that reported by the national statistics agency. That is because of the varying interpretations of the ILO definition by member states and Eurostat.
