Unemployment trends in the European Union Member States, June 2025
Released: 4 August 2025
In June 2025 (based on seasonally adjusted data), the unemployment rate in the European Union was 5.9%, the same as a month earlier and fell by 0.1 percentage points compared with June 2024. Unemployment was lowest in Malta and Czechia (2.5% and 3.0% respectively), highest in Spain (10.4%) and Finland (9.3%).
In June 2025, the unemployment rate1 in Hungary was 4.4%, 0.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier and in May 2025. In terms of unemployment rate, Hungary was ranked 10th best among the Member States together with Croatia. Among the V4, unemployment was higher than in Hungary in Slovakia (5.3%) and lower in Poland and Czechia (3.5% and 3.0% respectively).
The number of unemployed in Hungary, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 215 thousand in June 2025. In the period April to June 2025, the average duration of job search increased from 10.0 months to 12.2 months compared to a year earlier, and the share of long-term unemployed (at least one year) fell from 36% to 32%.
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service, by the end of June 2025 the number of registered jobseekers decreased by 1.5% compared to the previous month, and decreased by 1.4% to 220 thousand compared to a year earlier.
The June 2025 forecast of the National Bank of Hungary puts the unemployment rate at 4.5% in 2025 and 4.8% in 2026. Following a rate of 4.4% in the second quarter of 2025, the OECD forecast is for a slow decline to 4.3% for 2025 as a whole and 3.9% for 2026. Trading Economics forecasts2 the domestic unemployment rate to rise to 4.7% by the fourth quarter of 2025 and then to fall to 4.0% by the first quarter of 2026, while the IMF forecasts a rate of 4.6% for 2025 as a whole and 4.2% for 2026.
Table 1
Unemployment trends in the European Union Member States, June 2025
(based on seasonally adjusted data)
Unemployment rates
Number of unemployed persons
(%)
(in thousands)
European Union average
5.9
12 967
Euro area
6.2
10 700
Belgium
6.5
356
Bulgaria
3.7
114
Czechia
3.0
160
Denmark
6.7
220
Germany
3.7
1 606
Estonia
7.7
58
Ireland
4.0
118
Greece
..
..
Spain
10.4
2 597
France
7.0
2 211
Croatia
4.4
78
Italy
6.3
1 621
Cyprus
3.8
19
Latvia
6.9
65
Lithuania
6.4
100
Luxembourg
6.6
23
Hungary
4.4
215
Malta
2.5
9
Netherlands
3.8
386
Austria
5.8
277
Poland
3.5
611
Portugal
6.0
336
Romania
5.8
470
Slovenia
3.7
38
Slovakia
5.3
148
Finland
9.3
265
Sweden
8.7
500
Forrás: Eurostat, Euro indicators – Unemployment, June 2025. (31 July 2025)
Figure 1
Footnotes
-
In June 2025, the unemployment rate in Hungary 4.4% based on seasonally adjusted data and 4.3% based on unadjusted data. Eurostat's Euro indicators page uses seasonally adjusted data for the 15–74 age group in its monthly unemployment report, while the HCSO's first release on employment and unemployment uses unadjusted data. ↩
-
Trading Economics data is available after registration. ↩
Released: 4 August 2025
In June 2025 (based on seasonally adjusted data), the unemployment rate in the European Union was 5.9%, the same as a month earlier and fell by 0.1 percentage points compared with June 2024. Unemployment was lowest in Malta and Czechia (2.5% and 3.0% respectively), highest in Spain (10.4%) and Finland (9.3%).
In June 2025, the unemployment rate1 in Hungary was 4.4%, 0.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier and in May 2025. In terms of unemployment rate, Hungary was ranked 10th best among the Member States together with Croatia. Among the V4, unemployment was higher than in Hungary in Slovakia (5.3%) and lower in Poland and Czechia (3.5% and 3.0% respectively).
The number of unemployed in Hungary, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 215 thousand in June 2025. In the period April to June 2025, the average duration of job search increased from 10.0 months to 12.2 months compared to a year earlier, and the share of long-term unemployed (at least one year) fell from 36% to 32%.
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service, by the end of June 2025 the number of registered jobseekers decreased by 1.5% compared to the previous month, and decreased by 1.4% to 220 thousand compared to a year earlier.
The June 2025 forecast of the National Bank of Hungary puts the unemployment rate at 4.5% in 2025 and 4.8% in 2026. Following a rate of 4.4% in the second quarter of 2025, the OECD forecast is for a slow decline to 4.3% for 2025 as a whole and 3.9% for 2026. Trading Economics forecasts2 the domestic unemployment rate to rise to 4.7% by the fourth quarter of 2025 and then to fall to 4.0% by the first quarter of 2026, while the IMF forecasts a rate of 4.6% for 2025 as a whole and 4.2% for 2026.
Unemployment trends in the European Union Member States, June 2025
(based on seasonally adjusted data)
| Unemployment rates | Number of unemployed persons | |
|---|---|---|
| (%) | (in thousands) | |
| European Union average | 5.9 | 12 967 |
| Euro area | 6.2 | 10 700 |
| Belgium | 6.5 | 356 |
| Bulgaria | 3.7 | 114 |
| Czechia | 3.0 | 160 |
| Denmark | 6.7 | 220 |
| Germany | 3.7 | 1 606 |
| Estonia | 7.7 | 58 |
| Ireland | 4.0 | 118 |
| Greece | .. | .. |
| Spain | 10.4 | 2 597 |
| France | 7.0 | 2 211 |
| Croatia | 4.4 | 78 |
| Italy | 6.3 | 1 621 |
| Cyprus | 3.8 | 19 |
| Latvia | 6.9 | 65 |
| Lithuania | 6.4 | 100 |
| Luxembourg | 6.6 | 23 |
| Hungary | 4.4 | 215 |
| Malta | 2.5 | 9 |
| Netherlands | 3.8 | 386 |
| Austria | 5.8 | 277 |
| Poland | 3.5 | 611 |
| Portugal | 6.0 | 336 |
| Romania | 5.8 | 470 |
| Slovenia | 3.7 | 38 |
| Slovakia | 5.3 | 148 |
| Finland | 9.3 | 265 |
| Sweden | 8.7 | 500 |
Footnotes
-
In June 2025, the unemployment rate in Hungary 4.4% based on seasonally adjusted data and 4.3% based on unadjusted data. Eurostat's Euro indicators page uses seasonally adjusted data for the 15–74 age group in its monthly unemployment report, while the HCSO's first release on employment and unemployment uses unadjusted data. ↩
-
Trading Economics data is available after registration. ↩