--- title: "Youth Unemployment in the EU: Where Young People Are Most Likely to Be Jobless" description: In June 2025, on average, one in six 15- to 24-year-olds in the EU was unemployed, yet there is a world of difference between Estonia, Spain and Germany. canonical: https://www.datapulse.de/en/youth-unemployment-eu/ author: Maria Fernandez published: 2026-07-02T11:01:57+00:00 modified: 2026-09-05T16:14:28+00:00 section: Economy language: en-US publisher: DataPulse Research image: https://www.datapulse.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Unemployed-youth_EN-1-819x1024.png --- # Youth Unemployment in the EU: Where Young People Are Most Likely to Be Jobless In June 2025, on average, one in six 15- to 24-year-olds in the EU was unemployed, yet there is a world of difference between Estonia, Spain and Germany. Based on Eurostat data, the chart shows how unevenly the start of working life is distributed across Europe and why a low rate does not automatically mean that the transition from school to work is going smoothly.​​ ## What does the youth unemployment rate measure? People are considered unemployed if they are not in employment but could start work within the next two weeks and have actively looked for a job in the last four weeks. The rate therefore does not measure the proportion of all young people without a job, but only the proportion of those without a job within the active labour force in this age group. For example, those who are still at school, studying or not looking for work at all do not feature in this rate. As this applies to many in this age group, the proportion of people to whom the rate refers is comparatively small and can therefore be higher than the rate for the population as a whole. ## An EU average that masks differences The EU average for the proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds who were unemployed stood at 14.7% in June 2025, whilst the overall EU unemployment rate was 6% (November 2025). However, the average masks extreme differences. At the top of the table is Estonia with 26.9 %, followed by Spain (24 %) and Sweden (23.8 %). At the other end of the scale are Malta with 6.2 % and Germany with 6.3 %, less than half the EU average.​​ In countries with significantly higher rates, several factors combine: economic instability, structural weaknesses in the labour market and, in some cases, less well-developed vocational training systems. Added to this are fixed-term contracts and work placements, which, whilst providing employment, often fail to offer a sustainable pathway into stable employment.​ ## Germany: The dual vocational training model – a success story, but with gaps At 6.3 %, Germany is among the countries with the lowest youth unemployment rates in Europe and lies well below the EU average of 14.7 %. The dual vocational training system in Germany is often cited as the reason for this, as it integrates young people into workplace structures at a relatively early stage and facilitates a direct transition from school to work.​​ At the same time, a tension is emerging in the German debate that cannot be explained by the low youth unemployment rate alone. Trade associations and research institutes are warning of a worsening shortage of skilled workers, whilst companies continue to report tens of thousands of unfilled apprenticeship places. According to the Federal Employment Agency, around 54,000 places remained unfilled as at 30 September 2025, whilst some 40,000 registered applicants were unable to find an apprenticeship place. Experts refer to a growing ‘mismatch’ when training opportunities and young people’s preferred careers do not align in terms of region, sector or skill level. ## Between statistics and real life The seemingly favourable youth unemployment rate in Germany masks these discrepancies, because many young people are not recorded as ‘unemployed’ after leaving school, but end up in transitional arrangements, waiting lists or unskilled jobs. For their career paths, this means that entry into a qualified apprenticeship or stable employment is delayed, with long-term consequences for income, the supply of skilled workers and social participation, consequences that are only partially reflected in the statistics on youth unemployment. --- Source: https://www.datapulse.de/en/youth-unemployment-eu/