Unemployment rates: Brussels compared to other EU capital regions
Regional unemployment rate
| Entity | Value | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BE10 | 12.7% | 31 December 2024 |
| AT13 | 7.8% | 31 December 2024 |
| DE30 | 8.6% | 31 December 2024 |
| FR10 | 7.3% | 31 December 2024 |
| NL32 | 3.6% | 31 December 2024 |
| BE10 | 12.4% | 30 June 2025 |
| AT13 | 7.5% | 30 June 2025 |
| DE30 | 8.9% | 30 June 2025 |
| FR10 | 7.1% | 30 June 2025 |
| NL32 | 3.4% | 30 June 2025 |
Methodology
Comparison of regional unemployment rates (population aged 15-74) at NUTS-2 level, based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS) harmonised by Eurostat. The data cover the capital-city regions of five selected countries. Comparability is ensured by the common LFS methodological framework, but labour market structures (public employment, industrial fabric, seasonality) differ significantly between regions.
Comparability limitations
NUTS-2 boundaries do not always correspond to actual employment basins. Brussels-Capital (BE10) is a compact region of 161 km² that excludes its functional urban area, unlike Île-de-France (12,012 km²) or Noord-Holland (2,670 km²). The Brussels unemployment rate is also influenced by specific structural factors: linguistic mismatch between labour supply and demand, concentration of low-skilled populations in the urban core, and competition from Flemish and Walloon commuters for local jobs.
Context
The unemployment rate is one of the most closely watched indicators for assessing a region's economic health. Within the European Union, Eurostat harmonises data through the Labour Force Survey (LFS), enabling comparison at NUTS-2 level — the statistical tier that generally corresponds to capital-city regions.
The data compared
Among the five capital regions selected, the Brussels-Capital Region has the highest unemployment rate at 12.7% as of end-2024. This rate is approximately 1.5 times higher than Wien (7.8%) and Berlin (8.6%), and more than three times higher than Noord-Holland (3.6%).
Île-de-France, despite a population of over 12 million, maintains a relatively low rate (7.3%), partly due to the diversity of its economic fabric and the inclusion of suburban zones within its NUTS-2 perimeter.
The Brussels case
The Brussels-Capital Region's high unemployment rate is explained by a combination of structural factors:
- Linguistic mismatch: many job offers require French-Dutch bilingualism, while a significant share of Brussels jobseekers are francophone or allophone.
- Commuter effect: approximately 360,000 people work in Brussels without residing there, occupying a significant share of skilled jobs.
- Urban concentration: the Region's geographic compactness (19 municipalities, 161 km²) concentrates low-skilled populations without the dilution effect of larger NUTS-2 regions.
- Governance crisis: the absence of a fully empowered government since June 2024 freezes active employment policies and training investments.
Limitations of the comparison
The NUTS-2 nomenclature produces highly heterogeneous geographic units. Brussels-Capital is one of the EU's smallest NUTS-2 regions, while Île-de-France or Noord-Holland encompass far larger territories including rural and peri-urban areas. This difference in perimeter mechanically affects socio-economic indicators.
Sources
- Eurostat, Labour Force Survey — unemployment rate by NUTS-2 region (lfst_r_lfu3rt), data extracted January 2026
- IBSA (Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis), Brussels labour market — annual report 2025
- Actiris, Annual statistical report 2025
Source: Eurostat — lfst_r_lfu3rt
Last updated: 7 February 2026