Moldova’s Unemployment Rate at 10.4% in Q1 2026

Moldova’s unemployment rate stood at 10.4% in Q1 2026, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The latest figure is not directly comparable with previous data, as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) instruments were revised in 2026 to align with EU standards, ensuring comparability with European-level results. The number of unemployed people reached 93,600, while employment levels totaled 811,100. The labor force participation rate was 47.5%, and the employment rate stood at 42.6%.

Moldova’s unemployment rate fell to 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 3.5% in the third quarter. This was the lowest jobless rate since the third quarter of 2022, as the number of unemployed persons decreased by 6.5 thousand to 24.5 thousand. The unemployment rate for men dropped to 2.9% from 3.9%, while that for women edged down to 3.0% from 3.1%. Youth unemployment (ages 15–24) fell sharply to 0% from 6.8%. At the same time, the employment rate declined to 40.8% from 43.4%, with the number of employed individuals falling by 49.7 thousand to 806.4 thousand. The labor force participation rate fell to 42.1% from 44.9% in the previous quarter.

Moldova’s unemployment rate declined to 3.5% in Q3 2025, the lowest since Q3 2022, down from 4.0% in the previous quarter. Male unemployment fell to 3.9% from 4.4%, while the female rate eased to 3.1% from 3.6%. Urban joblessness stood at 3.1% versus 2.9% in rural areas. Youth unemployment (ages 15–24) dropped to 6.8% from 8.3%. The total number of unemployed fell 5.4% quarter-on-quarter to 31,000, as the labor force expanded by 62,355 to 887,055, lifting the participation rate for those aged 15 and over to 44.9% from 41.8%.