The unemployment rate was 3.1%, 0.3 percentage points lower compared to the third quarter of 2025.
The employment rate for the population aged 15 - 64 was 70.8%, 0.6 percentage points lower compared to the same quarter of 2025.
The activity rate of the population aged 15 - 64 was 73.1%, 0.8 percentage points lower compared to the third quarter of 2025.
Unemployment
In the third quarter of 2026, there were 95.1 thousand unemployed persons, of whom 57.0 thousand (59.9%) men and 38.2 thousand (40.1%) women. The unemployment rate was 3.1%, 3.6% for men and 2.7% for women, respectively.
Among all unemployed persons, 16.3% had attained tertiary education, 51.9% had completed upper secondary education and 31.8% had at most lower secondary education. The unemployment rate by level of educational attainment was as follows: 1.3% for persons with tertiary education, 3.1% for those with upper secondary education and 11.2% for those with lower education (lower secondary or less).
Among all unemployed, 19.0 thousand persons, or 20.0%, were looking for job for the first time.
In the third quarter of 2026, there were 41.5 thousand long-term unemployed people (unemployed for one year or more), representing 43.6% of all unemployed. The long-term unemployment rate was 1.4%.
In the third quarter of 2026, the youth unemployment rate (age group 15 - 29) was 8.1% (10.0% for men and 5.6% for women). Compared to the same quarter of 2025 this rate was 0.6 percentage points lower.
Employment
In the third quarter of 2026, there were 2 927.8 thousand employed persons, of whom 1 543.6 thousand men and 1 384.2 thousand women. The employment rate for the population aged 15 years and over was 53.3%, 59.1% for men and 48.0% for women.
In the service sector worked 2 001.1 thousand persons (68.3% of all in employment), in the industry sector - 788.0 thousand (26.9%), and in the agriculture, forestry and fishing - 138.7 thousand (4.7%).
According to the status in employment, the distribution of employed persons was as follows:
- Employers - 5.7% (167.8 thousand);
- Self-employed persons without employees - 7.7% (224.6 thousand);
- Employees - 86.3% (2 526.8 thousand);
- Unpaid family workers 0.3% (8.7 thousand).
Of all employees, 1 900.2 thousand persons (75.2%) worked in the private sector, while 626.5 thousand (24.8%) worked in the public sector. Among all employees, 85.5 thousand persons (3.4%) had а temporary job (with limited duration).
In the third quarter of 2026, the employment in specific age groups was as follows:
There were 2 788.1 thousand employed persons aged 15 - 64 (1 471.1 thousand men and 1 316.9 thousand women). The employment rate for the same age group was 70.8% (73.7% for men and 67.8% for women).
The employment rate for the age group 15 - 29 was 34.1% (37.9% for men and 30.2% for women).
The employment rate for the age group 20 - 64 was 77.0% (80.2% for men and 73.7% for women). In comparison with the third quarter of 2025, the employment rate (20 - 64 years of age) decreased by 0.5 percentage points.
There were 652.0 thousand employed persons aged 55 - 64, representing 72.2% of the population in the same age group (75.8% of men and 68.7% of women). In comparison with the third quarter of 2025, the employment rate for the age group 55 - 64 increased by 0.3 percentage points.
Economic inactivity
In the third quarter of 2026, there were 2 475.1 thousand economically inactive persons (persons not in the labour force) aged 15 years and over, of whom 1 010.8 thousand (40.8%) men and 1 464.3 thousand (59.2%) women.
The economically inactive persons aged 15 - 64 were 1 058.9 thousand (469.1 thousand men and 589.8 thousand women), representing 26.9% of the population in the same age group (23.5% of men and 30.3% of women). Among all persons not in the labour force aged 15 - 64, 42.4% were inactive due to participation in education or training. There were 16.9 thousand discouraged persons aged 15 - 64, representing 1.6% of the economically inactive population in the same age group.
