Finland registered the highest unemployment rate in the European Union in November 2025, according to new figures released by Eurostat.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate reached 10.6 percent, overtaking Spain, where the rate stood at 10.4 percent. Sweden followed with 9.1 percent.
The increase from October’s figure of 10.4 percent marks Finland’s steepest unemployment level in 15 years.
The latest figures reflect a broader trend where Nordic countries, traditionally known for lower unemployment, are now seeing rising jobless rates, while southern European states report modest improvements.
The data is based on the share of unemployed individuals among the labour force aged 15 to 74. Seasonal factors, such as temporary summer employment, are removed from the calculations.
The Finnish labour market has attracted more jobseekers, both domestic and foreign, at a time when job creation has slowed. While the number of people seeking work has increased, the number of available positions has not kept pace.
The number of employed people in Finland rose by approximately 25,000 over the past year. However, that growth has not yet been sufficient to offset the rise in unemployment caused by the expanding labour force.
HT
