Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) - Country Ranking - Europe

Definition: Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in December 2019.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Spain 38.26 2020
2 Bosnia and Herzegovina 36.64 2020
3 Montenegro 35.95 2020
4 North Macedonia 35.80 2020
5 Greece 34.99 2020
6 Italy 29.38 2020
7 San Marino 27.40 2016
8 Albania 26.98 2019
9 Serbia 26.65 2020
9 Monaco 26.65 2016
11 Turkey 25.09 2020
12 Sweden 23.95 2020
13 Luxembourg 23.20 2020
14 Portugal 22.55 2020
15 Finland 21.36 2020
16 Croatia 21.11 2020
17 France 20.15 2020
18 Lithuania 19.56 2020
19 Slovak Republic 19.35 2020
20 Ukraine 19.26 2020
21 Cyprus 18.23 2020
22 Estonia 17.87 2020
23 Romania 17.34 2020
24 Belgium 15.33 2020
25 Ireland 15.26 2020
26 Latvia 14.87 2020
27 Bulgaria 14.22 2020
28 Slovenia 14.19 2020
29 Hungary 12.76 2020
30 Belarus 12.04 2020
31 Denmark 11.61 2020
32 Norway 11.32 2020
33 United Kingdom 11.16 2019
34 Moldova 10.86 2020
35 Poland 10.83 2020
36 Malta 10.73 2020
37 Austria 10.48 2020
38 Iceland 10.03 2020
39 Netherlands 9.11 2020
40 Switzerland 8.61 2020
41 Czech Republic 7.95 2020
42 Germany 7.22 2020

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Development Relevance: Paradoxically, low unemployment rates can disguise substantial poverty in a country, while high unemployment rates can occur in countries with a high level of economic development and low rates of poverty. In countries without unemployment or welfare benefits people eke out a living in vulnerable employment. In countries with well-developed safety nets workers can afford to wait for suitable or desirable jobs. But high and sustained unemployment indicates serious inefficiencies in resource allocation. Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects. Unemployment is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. [SDG Indicator 8.5.2]

Limitations and Exceptions: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked. There may be also persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the unemployment count of both women and men. However, women tend to be excluded from the count for various reasons. Women suffer more from discrimination and from structural, social, and cultural barriers that impede them from seeking work. Also, women are often responsible for the care of children and the elderly and for household affairs. They may not be available for work during the short reference period, as they need to make arrangements before starting work. Further, women are considered to be employed when they are working part-time or in temporary jobs, despite the instability of these jobs or their active search for more secure employment.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Persons who did not look for work but have an arrangements for a future job are also counted as unemployed. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. It is the labour force or the economically active portion of the population that serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.