Eurostat estimates that the number of unemployed persons in the EU is 15.38 million and 13.3 million in euro area

The unemployment rate in the European Union (EU) was stable last month at 7.3 per cent while going up slightly by 0.1 per cent in the euro area.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, reports that the EU unemployment rate was stable in April compared with the previous month of March 2021 but was up from 6.7 per cent in April 2020. At the same time, the euro area unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 per cent to 8.0 per cent in April 2021, compared to March 2021 and greater than 7.3 per cent recorded in April 2020.

Eurostat estimates that the number of unemployed persons in the EU is approximately 15.38 million men and women, of whom 13.03 million in the euro area were unemployed in April 2021. Additionally, relative to March 2021, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 165,000 in the EU and by 134,000 in the euro area.

Eurostat reports that, “compared with April 2020, unemployment rose by 1.406 million in the EU and by 1.275 million in the euro area”.

Youth Unemployment

In April 2021, the number of unemployed young persons (under 25 years) amounted to about 2.939 million in the EU; of whom approximately 2.348 million were in the euro area. Compared with the prior year, youth unemployment rose by 211,000 in the EU and increased by 126,000 in the euro area.

Eurostat states that, “in April 2021, the youth unemployment rate was 17.1 per cent in the EU and 17.2 per cent in the euro area, stable in both areas compared with previous month”.

Additionally, compared with March 2021, youth unemployment decreased by 21,000 in the EU and by 18,000 in the euro area.

Unemployment by gender

In the euro area unemployment rate for women fell from 8.5 per cent in March 2021 to 8.4 per cent in April 2021, while in the EU unemployment rate for women decreased to 7.6 per cent in April 2021 from 7.7 per cent in March 2021. The unemployment rate for men in EU as at April 2021 was 7.0 per cent, stable compared to the previous month, similar in the euro area men unemployment rate was stable at 7.7 per cent.