The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.5% in July 2019, down from 8.1% in July 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since July 2008. At the same time, the EU28 unemployment rate was 6.3% in July 2019, down from 6.8% in July 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since the start of the EU monthly unemployment series in January 2000, according to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

When compared to June 2019, the euro area and EU28 unemployment rates were both stable.

Eurostat estimates that 15.61 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.32 million in the euro area, were unemployed in July 2019. Compared with July 2018, unemployment fell by 1.09 million in the EU28 and by 898,000 in the euro area. Compared with June 2019, the number of persons unemployed increased by 27,000 in the EU28 and decreased by 16,000 in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in July 2019 were recorded in Czechia (2.1%) and Germany (3.0%).

Meanwhile, the highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (17.2% in May 2019) and Spain (13.9%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in 25 Member States while it increased in Luxembourg (from 5.6% to 5.7%), Lithuania (from 6.1% to 6.4%) and Sweden (from 6.3% to 6.8%).

The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 19.4% to 17.2% between May 2018 and May 2019).

In July 2019, the youth unemployment rate stood at 14.3% in the EU28 and 15.6% in the euro area, compared with 15.0% and 16.7%, respectively in July 2018.