stats / european union / jobs & cost of living

Jobs & cost of living · European Union

For recent grads: how easy it is to find work, how good the jobs are, what they pay and what life costs.

Grad view

European Union

Youth unemployment: 15.4 % · Aug 2026
Recent-grad employment: 86.9 % · 2025
Average wage (PPP): no data
Price level: 100 EU27 = 100 · 2024
Housing squeeze: 9.5 % · 2025

Beveridge curve: how hard is it to find a job?

quarterly unemployment rate (x) vs job vacancy rate (y), since 2010 · up and left = tighter market, easier to get hired

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Latest	EU27
Unemployment rate %	6.1Aug 2026
Youth unemployment, 15–24 %	15.4Aug 2026
Unemployment, 25–29 %	8.42025
Unemployment with a degree %	4.42024
Job vacancy rate %	2.0Q4 2025
Long-term unemployed (1 year +) % of unemployed	31.52025
Employment rate of recent graduates %	86.92025
Not in employment, education or training (NEET) %	11.02025
Temporary contracts %	12.62025
Temporary contracts, 15–24 %	47.22025
Part-time work %	17.72025
Usual weekly hours, full-time job hours	38.72025
Price level of household consumption (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1002024
Price level: food (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1002024
Price level: housing, water, energy (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1002024
Price level: transport (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1002024
Price level: restaurants and hotels (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1002024
Big Mac price US$	7.08H2 2026
Housing cost overburden, aged 25–29 %	9.52025
Still living with their parents, 25–29 %	41.82025

Unemployment

Unemployment rate

monthly where available · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Youth unemployment, 15–24

US 16–24 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Unemployment, 25–29

CW 25–34 · US 20–24 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Unemployment with a degree

advanced education · US bachelor’s, 25–34 · %

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, CC BY 4.0

Finding a job

Job vacancy rate

vacancies ÷ (jobs + vacancies) · US JOLTS openings rate · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Long-term unemployed (1 year +)

share of the unemployed · % of unemployed

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Graduates

Employment rate of recent graduates

tertiary, left education 1–3 years ago, aged 20–34 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Not in employment, education or training (NEET)

EU 15–29 · elsewhere 15–24 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Job quality

Temporary contracts

share of employees · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Temporary contracts, 15–24

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Part-time work

share of employment · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Usual weekly hours, full-time job

hours

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Cost of living

Price level of household consumption (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: food (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: housing, water, energy (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: transport (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: restaurants and hotels (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Big Mac price

NL and EU: euro-area average · US$

Source: The Economist, Big Mac index (CC BY 4.0)

Housing

Housing cost overburden, aged 25–29

living in a household spending over 40 % of income on housing · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Still living with their parents, 25–29

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Not available for European Union: Job openings per unemployed person, Quits rate, Employment rate, tertiary-educated 25–34, Graduate earnings premium, Hours worked per worker, per year, Very long hours (50 h + a week), Average annual wage, Median full-time wage (approx.), Real wage growth, Minimum wage, hourly, Minimum wage vs median wage, Minimum wage, monthly (EU), Price level of household consumption, Price level now (OECD, monthly), House price-to-income, House price-to-rent, Rents.