Unemployment in the EU: September Data, Bulgaria Stands Out

Unemployment in the European Union remains stable, but troubling trends are hidden beneath the surface, according to seasonally adjusted data released today by Eurostat. According to these data, unemployment in the community reached 6% in September, unchanged from the previous month. The Eurozone also reports an unchanged level of 6.3%.

Despite the overall stability, the annual analysis shows some increase. Unemployment in the EU has increased by 0.1 percentage points compared to September 2024. In the Eurozone, in contrast, the level remains unchanged on an annual basis.

Against the backdrop of these trends, Bulgaria stands out as an example of relative stability. The unemployment rate in our country in September was 3.5%, a decrease compared to the reported 3.6% a month earlier. The comparison with September 2024, when the level was 4%, highlights the positive trend in the country. This puts Bulgaria in fifth place in the EU for the lowest level of unemployment during the month in question.

Eurostat data reveals that in September 2025, 13.246 million people were unemployed in the EU, of whom 11.003 million were in the Eurozone. Overall, the number of unemployed is increasing. Compared to August, the increase is by 63,000 people in the EU and 65,000 people in the Eurozone. On an annual basis, the increase is significantly larger – by 227,000 people in the EU and 187,000 people in the Eurozone. These numbers raise questions about the sustainability of economic recovery in the region.

The countries with the highest unemployment in September are Spain with 10.5%, Finland with 9.8% and Sweden with 8.7%. At the other extreme are Malta and the Czech Republic with 3%, Slovenia with 3.1%, Poland with 3.2% and Bulgaria with 3.5%.

The situation among young people is particularly worrying. In September 2025, 2.866 million young people under the age of 25 were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.282 million were in the Eurozone. The youth unemployment rate is 14.8% in the EU, unchanged from August, and 14.4% in the Eurozone, compared to 14.3% a month earlier.

While overall youth unemployment remains relatively stable, there is an increase in the number of unemployed. Compared to August, the number of young unemployed increased by 10,000 people in the EU and by 23,000 people in the Eurozone. The positive side is that on an annual basis the number of unemployed young people has decreased by 121,000 people in the EU and by 79,000 people in the Eurozone.

For Bulgaria, Eurostat reports youth unemployment of 14.5% in September, which is a decrease compared to the reported 15.2% in August. The comparison with September 2024, when youth unemployment was 11.3%, shows a growing trend that deserves careful monitoring.

The Eurostat analysis also examines the differences in unemployment between the sexes. In September, the unemployment rate among women in the EU was 6.1%, and among men – 5.8%, with both values remaining unchanged on a monthly basis. In the Eurozone, unemployment among women is 6.5%, unchanged from August, and among men – 6.2%, which represents an increase of 6.1% compared to the previous month.

For Bulgaria, the data show that the unemployment rate for women in September was 3.3%, unchanged from August, but 0.3 percentage points lower than in September 2024 (3.7%). The unemployment rate among men in the country is 3.7%, which is a decrease compared to the 3.8% reported in August, as well as compared to September 2024 (4.3%).

According to the Eurostat methodology, people aged 15 to 74 who do not have a job, are available to start one within the next two weeks and have actively sought work in the previous four weeks are considered unemployed.