EU employment rises and school dropout rates near target in 2025‑2026

Eurostat reported that the EU employment rate for people aged 20‑64 increased to 76.3 % in the first quarter of 2026, up from 76.2 % in the previous quarter, while labour‑market slack fell to 10.9 % from 11.0 %. About 3 million unemployed workers found jobs during the period, with Italy, Belgium, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden showing the strongest gains.

In 2025 the share of 18‑24‑year‑olds who left education early fell to 9.1 %, meeting the EU’s 2030 target of 9 %. This marks a drop from 11 % in 2015. The most pronounced reductions were recorded in Malta, Portugal and Spain, while Cyprus, Germany and Austria saw increases. Germany’s dropout rate remains high at 13.1 %, whereas Croatia (2.1 %), Greece (3.0 %) and Ireland (3.6 %) are among the best performers. France reports a 7 % rate, ranking 11th in the Union.