The unemployment rate in the eurozone rose slightly in June 2024, while it stagnated in Croatia and remained well below the eurozone average, Eurostat statistics show.

In the eurozone, the unemployment rate measured according to the methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was 6.5% in June 2024, 0.1 percentage points higher than in the previous month. Compared to June last year, it remained unchanged.

In the EU, the rate remained at 6% in May, reflecting the situation in June last year.

Eurostat estimates that 13.26 million people were unemployed in the EU in June, of which 11.12 million were in the eurozone.

A comparison of the monthly figures shows that unemployment rose by 41,000 in the eurozone and 52,000 in the EU in June. On an annualised basis, unemployment rose by 81,000 in the eurozone and 188,000 in the EU.

Croatia below average

Spain was the only country to record a double-digit unemployment rate of 11.5% in June.

It was followed by Sweden and Finland with an unemployment rate of 8.3% each and Lithuania with an unemployment rate of 8.2%.

In Croatia, the unemployment rate measured according to the ILO method was 5.3% in June, the same level as in May.

There were 90,000 unemployed people in Croatia in June, 1,000 fewer than in May. Compared to June 2023, their number has fallen by 15,000.

Austria had the same unemployment rate as Croatia.

The Czech Republic and Poland once again recorded the lowest rates at 2.7% and 3% respectively. They were followed by Malta and Slovenia with 3.1% and Germany and the Netherlands with 3.4% and 3.6% respectively.

High youth unemployment

In the age group up to 25 years, the unemployment rate in the eurozone was 14.1% in June, 0.1 percentage points lower than in May. In the EU, it was also 0.1 percentage points lower, falling to 14.4%. Compared to June 2023, it was 0.1 percentage points lower in both areas.

There were 2.83 million unemployed young people in the EU in June, of which 2.27 million were in the euro area. Compared to the same month last year, the number rose by 8,000 in the euro area and by 18,000 in the EU.

Spain also recorded the highest youth unemployment rate in June at 25.9%. Sweden followed with 23.9%.

It was closely followed by Greece and Portugal with 22.9% and 22.5% respectively and Estonia with 22%.

No fewer than 18 EU member states had double-digit youth unemployment rates in June. The lowest was recorded in Germany at 6.2%, followed by Slovenia and Ireland at 7.8% and 8.1% respectively.

In the first quarter of this year, there were 21,000 unemployed young people in Croatia, which corresponds to a youth unemployment rate of 17.9%, according to Eurostat estimates at the beginning of July.