Type of indicator

Socio-economic

Indicator C07

Unemployment rate

Definition 

This indicator provides the number of unemployed persons aged 15-24 years (youth unemployment rate) and 15-74 years (total unemployment rate) as a share of the total economically active population of the same age class. It consists of 4 sub-indicators: 

  1. total unemployment rate
  2. youth unemployment rate
  3. total unemployment rate in rural areas
  4. youth unemployment rate in rural areas

 

Unemployed persons comprise persons who were (all three conditions must be fulfilled simultaneously):

1. without work during the reference week,

2. available for work at the time,

3. actively seeking work.

Economically active population is employed (see definition in indicator C.06) plus unemployed.

Methodology: 

Based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the total/youth unemployment rate of each country can be disaggregated by degree of urbanisation. The degree of urbanisation classifies the territory (Local Administrative Units (LAU)) into ‘rural areas’, ‘towns and suburbs’ and ‘cities’. The rural unemployment rate of each Member State could then be compared with the unemployment rates in the other two types of areas or with the unemployment rate for the whole country. Additionally, unemployment rates could also be calculated for men and women and even for other age groups, if needed for a better analysis.

Unit of measurement

1 - 4: share of total active population of the same age class 

Data source

Eurostat – Labour Force Survey

References/

location of the data

National data: 

total unemployment [TEPSR_WC170]

unemployment by degree of urbanisation (DG AGRI calculations): [lfsa_pgauws]

Regional data (NUTS 1 and 2): Unemployment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 regions [lfst_r_lfu3rt] 

Data collection level

EU, National (NUTS 0), Regional (NUTS 1 and 2)

by degree of urbanisation (rural areas, towns and suburbs, cities)

Frequency

LFS data are collected on a continuous basis and quarterly/annual results are produced. Data by degree of urbanisation are disseminated by Eurostat annually

Delay

4 months

Comments/caveats

The age classes 15-74 and 15-24 are used both for national and regional tables.