Bulgaria posts EU’s lowest unemployment rate

Bulgaria recorded the lowest unemployment rate among EU Member States and the eurozone in April 2026, according to the latest seasonally adjusted Eurostat data released on Monday. Unemployment in Bulgaria stood at 2.8%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous month. Bulgaria records the lowest unemployment rate in the EU for the fourth consecutive month in 2026.

Compared to March and the same period in 2025, unemployment rate remained unchanged in the EU and the eurozone at 6% and 6.3% respectively, CE Report quotes BTA.

According to Eurostat estimates, there were a total of 13.238 million unemployed people in the EU in April, of whom 11.075 million were in the eurozone.

On a monthly basis, the number of unemployed decreased by 137,000 in the EU and by 84,000 in the eurozone compared to March 2026. Compared to April 2025, however, unemployment increased by 82,000 people in the EU and by 45,000 people in the eurozone.

The countries with the lowest unemployment rates after Bulgaria are Czechia with 3.1%, Cyprus with 3.2%, and Malta with 3.6%. The highest unemployment rates in April were recorded in Finland with 10.6%, Spain with 10.3%, Greece with 9.5%, and Sweden with 8.6%.

Regarding youth unemployment in April, 2.913 million people under the age of 25 were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.337 million were in the eurozone. The youth unemployment rate in the EU fell to 15.1% from 15.6% in March, while the rate dropped to 14.7% from 15.1% for the same period in the eurozone.

On a monthly basis, youth unemployment decreased by 91,000 people in the EU and by 50,000 people in the eurozone. Compared to April 2025, however, an increase of 22,000 people was reported in the EU and 13,000 people in the eurozone.

For Bulgaria, Eurostat reported youth unemployment of 11% in April, compared to 11.1% in March. The rate was 13% in March 2025.

Unemployment among women in the EU in April was 6.2%, down from 6.3% in March, while for men it remained unchanged at 5.8%. In the eurozone, unemployment among women fell to 6.5% from 6.6% in March, while for men it remained at 6%.

In Bulgaria, unemployment among women in April was 2.6%, unchanged from March, and decreased from 3.3% year-over-year. Unemployment among men in Bulgaria reached 3% in April, down from 3.1% in March and 3.5% for the same period in 2025.

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