site.btaSeptember Unemployment Slightly Down in Bulgaria, Stable in EU, Euro Area, M/M

Bulgaria’s unemployment rate in September was 3.5%, down from 3.6% in the previous month and 4% from September 2024, according to Eurostat's seasonally adjusted data released on Thursday. This ranks Bulgaria fifth among EU Member States with the lowest unemployment rate in September 2025.

The EU unemployment rate was 6% in September 2025, stable compared with August 2025 and up from 5.9% in September 2024. The euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3%, stable compared with August 2025 as well as with September 2024.

Eurostat estimates that 13.246 million persons in the EU, of whom 11.003 million in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2025.

Compared with August 2025, unemployment increased by 63,000 in the EU and by 65,000 in the euro area. On an annual basis, unemployment increased by 227,000 in the EU and by 187,000 in the euro area.

The highest unemployment rates in September were recorded in Spain (10.5%), Finland (9.8%) and Sweden (8.7%), while the lowest were in Malta (3%), the Czech Republic (3%), Slovenia (3.1%), Poland (3.2%), and Bulgaria (3.5%). 

Youth unemployment

Youth unemployment in Bulgaria stood at 14.5% in September, down from 15.2% in August and up from 11.3% in September 2024. 

In September 2025, 2.866 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.282 million were in the euro area. The youth unemployment rate was 14.8% in the EU, stable compared with August 2025, and 14.4% in the euro area, up from 14.3% in the previous month.

Compared with August, youth unemployment increased by 10,000 in the EU and by 23,000 in the euro area. On an annual basis, youth unemployment decreased by 121,000 in the EU and by 79,000 in the euro area.

Unemployment by sex

The unemployment rate for women in Bulgaria was 3.3%, stable compared to August and down 0.3 percentage points from September 2024 (3.7%). The unemployment rate for men was 3.7%, down from 3.8% in August and 4.3% in September 2024. 

In September, the unemployment rate for women was 6.1% in the EU and the unemployment rate for men was 5.8%, both stable compared with the previous month. In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women was 6.5%, stable compared with August, and the unemployment rate for men was 6.2%, up from 6.1% in the previous month.

Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who are without work, are available to start work within the next two weeks, and have actively sought employment at some time during the previous four weeks.