Eurozone job vacancy rate falls to 2.3% in Q1 2026

Eurostat released data showing the share of vacant jobs dropped to 2.3 % in the euro area and 2.1 % across the 27‑member European Union in the first quarter of 2026, a slight decrease from the same period in 2025. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2025 the vacancy rate rose by 0.1 percentage points in the euro zone while remaining unchanged in the EU overall.

The highest vacancy rates were recorded in the Netherlands (4.0 %), Belgium (3.4 %) and Malta, whereas Romania (0.6 %) and Poland (0.8 %) had the lowest. Portugal’s rate increased to 1.6 % from 1.4 % a year earlier. Over the quarter, vacancies rose in Malta, Portugal and Slovenia and fell in Belgium, Austria, Denmark and Italy.