In the first quarter of 2026, the unemployment rate of females aged between 20 and 24 was approximately percent. The highest unemployment rate was reached in the first quarter of 2014, when it reached over percent for both genders. In total figures, such rates implied that over professionals aged between 20 and 24 were unemployed as of the first quarter of 2026.
A persistent problem
There is a striking contrast in the employability of professionals depending on age. By far, young Spaniards struggle the most to find a job. Over percent of those aged 16 to 19 did not have a job in 2024. The unemployment rate for Spaniards aged 20 to 24 was percent, and for the age group 25 to 29, the unemployment rate was percent. These figures speak volumes about a persistent problem in Spain: high levels of structural unemployment. This issue is particularly evident in the country’s south. For instance, the unemployment rate in Andalusia stood at percent in the last quarter of 2023.
Youth employment in Europe
Youth unemployment is most prevalent in Southern Europe; Spain, Greece, and Italy are some of the EU countries with the highest unemployment rates. On the other end of the spectrum, Germany, the Netherlands, Malta, and Slovenia had unemployment rates of less than 10 percent in 2026.
Nevertheless, the repercussions of COVID-19 on the job market have been less devastating than the financial crisis of 2008. In countries that were badly affected by the financial crisis, unemployment among young professionals skyrocketed in the early 2010s. In Greece, the unemployment of young professionals was over 50 percent from 2012 to 2014.
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