| Consensus | Consensus Range | Actual | Previous | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | 6.3% | 6.3% to 6.3% | 6.4% | 6.3% |
Highlights
Euro area unemployment held steady at 6.4 percent in October 2025, signalling a labour market that is resilient but beginning to show signs of softening. Eurostat estimates that 11.033 million people were unemployed, with a slight monthly decline of 13,000, suggesting that hiring has not entirely stalled despite the weaker economic backdrop. However, the year-over-year increase of 308,000 unemployed persons points to a gradual cooling compared with 2024.
Youth unemployment remains a key pressure point. At 14.8 percent, the rate stayed unchanged from September, yet the rise of 10,000 unemployed young people month-over-month, and 39,000 over the year, shows that younger workers continue to face structural barriers, especially in sectors with slowing job creation.
Gender differences persist but are narrowing. Women's unemployment remained stable at 6.6 percent, while men's unemployment edged down to 6.1 percent. The slight improvement for men may reflect hiring in male-dominated industries such as manufacturing and construction.
In summary, the latest data suggest a labour market that is neither deteriorating sharply nor generating strong momentum, with stable headline figures masking underlying weaknesses in youth employment and limited gains across demographic groups. This latest update takes the RPI to minus 16 and the RPI-P to minus 24, meaning that economic activities are now behind expectations of the euro area economy.
Youth unemployment remains a key pressure point. At 14.8 percent, the rate stayed unchanged from September, yet the rise of 10,000 unemployed young people month-over-month, and 39,000 over the year, shows that younger workers continue to face structural barriers, especially in sectors with slowing job creation.
Gender differences persist but are narrowing. Women's unemployment remained stable at 6.6 percent, while men's unemployment edged down to 6.1 percent. The slight improvement for men may reflect hiring in male-dominated industries such as manufacturing and construction.
In summary, the latest data suggest a labour market that is neither deteriorating sharply nor generating strong momentum, with stable headline figures masking underlying weaknesses in youth employment and limited gains across demographic groups. This latest update takes the RPI to minus 16 and the RPI-P to minus 24, meaning that economic activities are now behind expectations of the euro area economy.
Market Consensus Before Announcement
Jobless rate seen flat at 6.3 percent in October.
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.
