In 2024 The unemployment rate for people aged 15-74 in the EU fell to 5.9 percent of the labor force, which is the lowest level in history since the start of the time series in 2009, according to data from Eurostat, reported SIR (Servizio Informazione Religiosa).
The European Statistical Office reported that for young people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate in the EU was 14.9 percent, which is 0.4 percentage points higher than in 2023.
For other age groups, unemployment rates are much lower in 2024 and slightly decrease compared to the previous year. For EU citizens aged 25-54, the unemployment rate is 5.4% (down 0.1 percentage points), while for those aged 55-74 it is 4.1% (down 0.2 percentage points).
The overall unemployment rate among people aged 15-74 decreases by 0.2 percentage points from 6.1% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024.
The long-term unemployment rate as a percentage of the labour force is 1.9% in 2024. This is also the lowest level since the beginning of the reporting.
Among the EU countries, Greece recorded the highest level of long-term unemployment - 5.4 percent, followed by Spain (3.8 percent) and Slovakia (3.5 percent). The Netherlands (0.5 percent), Malta (0.7 percent) and the Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland (all with 0.8 percent) had the lowest unemployment rates in 2024. Long-term unemployment in Bulgaria in 2024 is at 2.2 percent, which is a slight decrease compared to the level of 2.3 percent recorded in 2023.