According to the European statistical service, among the 21 countries of the euro area, the unemployment rate fell from 6.3% in the same period last year to 6.3% in December 2025.

Across the 27 Member States, the indicator was below the 6.0% recorded in January 2025 and the 5.9% recorded in December.

Eurostat estimates the number of unemployed in the EU at 12.928 million, of which 10.770 million are in the eurozone.

Among the Member States, Bulgaria and Poland (3.1% each), the Czech Republic (3.2%) and Malta (3.4%) had the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.

At the opposite end of the scale, with the highest rates, are Finland (10.2%), Spain (9.8%) and Sweden (8.7%).

In Portugal, unemployment stood at 5.6% in January, stable compared to the previous month, but below the 6.3% recorded in January 2025.