Estonia Jobless Rate Highest Since 2013

Estonia’s unemployment rate declined to 7.1% in the third quarter of 2025, down from 7.4% in the same period a year earlier. This marked the lowest jobless rate since the fourth quarter of 2023, as the number of unemployed persons fell by 2.1 thousand year-on-year to 54.2 thousand. Meanwhile, the employment rate edged up to 69.7% from 69.1%, with the number of employed persons rising by 3 thousand to 705.1 thousand. The employment growth was driven mainly by young and middle-aged workers: 451.2 thousand people aged 15–24 and 25–49 were employed, an increase of 3,800 from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate increased to 75.1% from 74.6%.

The unemployment rate in Estonia climbed to 7.8% in the first quarter of 2025 from 5.8% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The number of unemployed persons increased by 1.4 thousand from a year earlier to 59.2 thousand. The jobless rate was 8.4% for men and 7.2% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate fell to 68.9% from 69.7%, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 9.2 thousand to 697.3 thousand. The labor force participation rate also dropped to 74.8% from 75.4%.

The unemployment rate in Estonia rose to 8.6% in the first quarter of 2025 from 7.8% in the same period last year, marking the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2013. The number of unemployed persons increased by 5.3 thousand from a year earlier to a twelve-year high of 64.2 thousand. The jobless rate was 9% for men and 8.2% for women. Meanwhile, the employment rate fell to 67.4% from 68.4%, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 11.7 thousand to 681.6 thousand, its lowest level in one and a half years. The labor force participation rate also dropped to 73.7% from 74.2%.