Finland’s Unemployment Rate Remain Highest in Europe

Finland continues to face a serious jobs problem, recording the highest unemployment rate in the euro area in July, according to the latest Eurostat figures.

The unemployment rate in Finland stood at 10.5%, unchanged from June and significantly higher than the euro-area average of 6.4%. Spain followed at 10.0%, while France recorded 8.3%.

Finland also had the highest unemployment rate among EU countries with available monthly data. Sweden recorded 8.7% and Greece 7.9%.

The situation has worsened compared with last year. Finland’s unemployment rate was 9.9% in July 2025, but it has remained at 10.5% since April this year.

In July, around 302,000 people in Finland were unemployed, compared with 283,000 a year earlier.

Youth unemployment remains particularly concerning. About 23.4% of people under 25 were unemployed in Finland in July, representing around 76,000 young people.

Sweden had a slightly higher youth unemployment rate at 24.4%, while Spain recorded 22.9%. Across the euro area, youth unemployment was much lower at 14.9%.

Overall, Eurostat estimated that 11.26 million people were unemployed across the euro area in July, while the total across the EU reached 13.52 million.

Unemployment was also high for both men and women in Finland. The rate was 10.8% for men and 10.1% for women, compared with 6.2% and 6.6% respectively in the euro area.

Eurostat follows the International Labour Organisation definition of unemployment. It includes people aged 15–74 who have no job, have actively looked for work during the previous four weeks and are available to start working within two weeks.