Article by Annalisa Girardi – Journalist, Fanpage.it
The gap between the female and male employment rates in the European Union remains extremely high. We’re talking about a full 10 percentage points: 80.8% of men are employed, while 70.8% of women are employed. There are significant differences between countries, according to Eurostat , which highlights that among the foreign-born population, these figures are even more divergent, with a gap of up to 18 percentage points.
Eurostat also certified that in 2024, the unemployment rate – considering people between 15 and 74 years old – in the European Union fell to 5.9%, the lowest level ever recorded since these calculations were made, that is, since 2009. Among European countries, the highest rate was recorded in Greece (5.4%), followed by Spain (3.8%) and Slovakia (3.5%). Conversely, the countries with the lowest rates are the Netherlands (0.5%), Malta (0.7%), and Denmark and Poland (both 0.8%).
However, the unemployment rate is much higher among young people aged 15 to 24: the rate rose to 14.9%, 0.4 percentage points higher than the previous year, 2023. However, for those aged 25 to 54, the unemployment rate stood at 5.4%, and for those aged 55 to 74, it was 4.1%. Overall, however, the unemployment rate has decreased compared to 2023.