Key facts
- Graduate unemployment is below 1.5% in Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria.
- Greece has the highest graduate unemployment rate in the EU at around 6%.
- The EU average graduate unemployment rate is 3.6%.
- Overall unemployment for those aged 25-54 is 5.4% in the EU, with Spain, Italy, and France above this.
- Over 10% of young EU citizens (15-29) are classified as NEETs.
- Romania has the highest NEET rate at 19%, while the Netherlands has the lowest at 5%.
A university degree's advantage in the job market varies significantly across Europe, with graduate unemployment rates ranging from near zero in some Central and Eastern European countries to around 7% in others.
Analysis of Eurostat employment data shows that in Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria, less than 1.5% of individuals aged 25 to 54 with tertiary education are unemployed. However, countries like North Macedonia, Turkey, and Bosnia-Herzegovina face graduate unemployment rates of approximately 7%. Within the European Union, Greece has the highest rate at about 6%.
Recent graduates in France and Spain also experience unemployment rates above the EU average of 3.6%, with figures around 4.7% and 5.7% respectively. Italy and Germany are closer to the EU average, with rates around 3% each.
Overall unemployment for the 25-54 age group across the EU stands at 5.4%. Spain, despite economic growth, has the bloc's highest unemployment rate at over 9%, followed by Serbia (8.7%) and Turkey (7.5%). Italy and France are also above the EU average, at 6.6% and 6.1% respectively. Conversely, the Czech Republic (2.4%), Malta (2.5%), Poland (2.7%), and the Netherlands (2.9%) maintain unemployment below 3%, with Germany under 4%.
The issue of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) also shows considerable disparity. More than one in ten young EU citizens aged 15-29 are NEETs, with rates varying from 5% in the Netherlands to a high of 19% in Romania. Italy, Bulgaria, and Greece also report high NEET percentages, exceeding 13%. The EU average NEET rate has fallen by over 4% in the last decade, with significant decreases in Italy and Greece, though a slight increase was noted in Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria.