Youth Unemployment Rises Across Eurozone as Overall Jobless Rate Holds Steady
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While overall EU unemployment remained flat in May, the number of young people out of work in the euro area rose, hinting at a deeper softening in the labour market that headline figures fail to capture.
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According to Eurostat’s latest data, youth unemployment in the eurozone rose to 14.4% in May 2025, up from 14.3% in April. In the wider EU, the rate climbed to 14.8%, up from 14.7%. These modest percentage changes represent a combined increase of 22,000 newly unemployed youth across both areas in just one month.
This trend runs counter to the broader picture. The overall euro area unemployment rate ticked up slightly from 6.2% to 6.3%, while the EU average held steady at 5.9%. On the surface, this stability may appear reassuring. But youth joblessness has now risen in two consecutive months, marking a reversal from the post-pandemic recovery.
Youth Unemployment Concentrated but Widening
Spain and Italy continue to report the highest youth unemployment rates in the bloc. Spain posted 25.4%, while Italy recorded a sharp rise to 21.6% in May, up from 19.9% in April, as thousands of previously inactive young people re-entered the labour market, according to ISTAT via Reuters. France remains elevated at 18.0%, despite slight month-over-month improvement.
Greece and Portugal also reported high levels, with 19.9% and 19.5% respectively. These countries still form the core of Europe’s long-term youth unemployment challenge, but they are no longer alone. May’s data suggests the pressure on under-25s is broadening beyond the south.
Some of the largest one-month increases in youth unemployment numbers occurred in:
Italy: +28,000 youth unemployed in May (303k total)
France: +7,000 (612k total)
Germany: -5,000 (294k total), indicating potential divergence within the core economies
Youth vs General Labour Force
Youth are typically the first affected by economic uncertainty. The recent uptick may reflect seasonal volatility, but paired with flat-to-rising general unemployment in countries like Belgium, Poland and Lithuania, it raises flags.
Female youth continue to face slightly higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts in southern and eastern Europe, although the gender gap remained stable in May.
The May report shows how broad jobless averages can obscure emerging risk patterns. While the EU’s headline rate appears static, youth unemployment is quietly trending upward, particularly in countries that already face structural labour challenges.
With the next EU Labour Force Survey results due in September, the May data stands as an early warning. Youth employment gains achieved in 2022 and 2023 may be stalling or beginning to reverse.
Want deeper insight into the forces shaping Europe’s labour future? Follow New Stardom for original reporting on work, policy, and generational shifts across the EU.
Sources:
Eurostat Euro Indicators, July 2025 | Reuters
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