BRUSSELS, 12th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Between the first and the second quarter of 2026, 3.1 million unemployed persons aged 15-74 in the EU moved into employment, representing 23.2% of all unemployed in the first quarter of 2026, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
During this period, 7.0 million (52.8%) remained unemployed and 3.2 million (24.0%) moved out of the labour force.
Of all people in employment in the first quarter of 2026, 2.5 million (1.2%) became unemployed in the second quarter of 2026, and 4.8 million (2.3%) moved out of the labour force.
Of all people recorded as out of the labour force in the first quarter of 2026, 4.2 million (3.7%) entered employment in the second quarter of 2026 and 3.9 million (3.4%) became unemployed.
In the second quarter of 2026, the employment rate of people aged 20-64 in the EU stood at 76.4%, up from 76.3% in the first quarter of 2026.