Unemployment trends in the European Union Member States, May 2025
Released: 4 July 2025
In May 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 May 2024. Unemployment was lowest in Czechia and Malta (2.8% and 2.7% respectively), highest in Spain (10.8%) and Finland (9.0%).
In May 2025, the unemployment rate1 in Hungary was 4.3%, the same as a year earlier and the same as in April 2025. In terms of unemployment rate, Hungary was ranked 10th best among the Member States. Among the V4, unemployment was higher than in Hungary in Slovakia (5.3%) and lower in Poland and Czechia (3.3% and 2.8% respectively).
The number of unemployed in Hungary, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 211 thousand in May 2025. In the period March to May 2025, the average duration of job search increased from 9.8 months to 12.8 months compared to a year earlier, and the share of long-term unemployed (at least one year) fell from 36% to 33%.
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service, by the end of May 2025 the number of registered jobseekers decreased by 2.4% compared to the previous month, and decreased by 1.4% to 223 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. The OECD forecast projects the rate at 4.4% in the second quarter of 2025, after which it is expected to decline slowly to 4.3% for the whole of 2025 and 3.9% in 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, May 2025
(based on seasonally adjusted data)
Unemployment rate
Number of unemployed,
(%)
thousand persons
European Union average
5.9
13 052
Euro area
6.3
10 830
Belgium
6.5
353
Bulgaria
3.5
106
Czechia
2.8
152
Denmark
5.3
174
Germany
3.7
1 611
Estonia
7.8
59
Ireland
4.0
119
Greece
7.9
370
Spain
10.8
2 681
France
7.1
2 224
Croatia
4.5
80
Italy
6.5
1 691
Cyprus
3.6
19
Latvia
6.9
66
Lithuania
6.5
103
Luxembourg
6.7
24
Hungary
4.3
211
Malta
2.7
9
Netherlands
3.8
385
Austria
5.3
253
Poland
3.3
585
Portugal
6.3
349
Romania
5.8
471
Slovenia
3.9
40
Slovakia
5.3
147
Finland
9.0
257
Sweden
8.7
503
Source: Eurostat, Euro indicators – Unemployment, May 2025. (2 July 2025)
Figure 1
Footnotes
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In May 2025, the unemployment rate in Hungary was 4.3%, based on both seasonally adjusted and 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. ↩
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Trading Economics data is available after registration. ↩
Released: 4 July 2025
In May 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 May 2024. Unemployment was lowest in Czechia and Malta (2.8% and 2.7% respectively), highest in Spain (10.8%) and Finland (9.0%).
In May 2025, the unemployment rate1 in Hungary was 4.3%, the same as a year earlier and the same as in April 2025. In terms of unemployment rate, Hungary was ranked 10th best among the Member States. Among the V4, unemployment was higher than in Hungary in Slovakia (5.3%) and lower in Poland and Czechia (3.3% and 2.8% respectively).
The number of unemployed in Hungary, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 211 thousand in May 2025. In the period March to May 2025, the average duration of job search increased from 9.8 months to 12.8 months compared to a year earlier, and the share of long-term unemployed (at least one year) fell from 36% to 33%.
According to the administrative data of the National Employment Service, by the end of May 2025 the number of registered jobseekers decreased by 2.4% compared to the previous month, and decreased by 1.4% to 223 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. The OECD forecast projects the rate at 4.4% in the second quarter of 2025, after which it is expected to decline slowly to 4.3% for the whole of 2025 and 3.9% in 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, May 2025
(based on seasonally adjusted data)
| Unemployment rate | Number of unemployed, | |
|---|---|---|
| (%) | thousand persons | |
| European Union average | 5.9 | 13 052 |
| Euro area | 6.3 | 10 830 |
| Belgium | 6.5 | 353 |
| Bulgaria | 3.5 | 106 |
| Czechia | 2.8 | 152 |
| Denmark | 5.3 | 174 |
| Germany | 3.7 | 1 611 |
| Estonia | 7.8 | 59 |
| Ireland | 4.0 | 119 |
| Greece | 7.9 | 370 |
| Spain | 10.8 | 2 681 |
| France | 7.1 | 2 224 |
| Croatia | 4.5 | 80 |
| Italy | 6.5 | 1 691 |
| Cyprus | 3.6 | 19 |
| Latvia | 6.9 | 66 |
| Lithuania | 6.5 | 103 |
| Luxembourg | 6.7 | 24 |
| Hungary | 4.3 | 211 |
| Malta | 2.7 | 9 |
| Netherlands | 3.8 | 385 |
| Austria | 5.3 | 253 |
| Poland | 3.3 | 585 |
| Portugal | 6.3 | 349 |
| Romania | 5.8 | 471 |
| Slovenia | 3.9 | 40 |
| Slovakia | 5.3 | 147 |
| Finland | 9.0 | 257 |
| Sweden | 8.7 | 503 |
Footnotes
-
In May 2025, the unemployment rate in Hungary was 4.3%, based on both seasonally adjusted and 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. ↩