Maria Guzenina· S&D

Confirmed

Finland is currently number one in European unemployment statistics

Omissions

• The specific unemployment rate figures (10.0% in January 2026, 10.4% in February 2026) were not mentioned in the claim
• Spain had the second-highest unemployment rate at 9.8%, making Finland's position as #1 a narrow margin
• The Eurostat data for January 2026 was published on March 4, 2026, just 5 days before the speech
• The claim refers to 'Europe' but the statistics cited cover the EU member states specifically

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Euro area unemployment at 6.1%January 2026 euro area unemployment rate was 6.1%, with Finland recording the highest rate among member states
• PrimaryDestatis (German Federal Statistical Office) - EU unemployment January 2026January 2026 EU unemployment rate at 5.8%; highest unemployment rates recorded in Finland (10.0%) and Spain (9.8%)
• SecondaryEurope-data.com - Finland unemployment February 2026Finland unemployment rate of 10.4% in February 2026, the only EU country with double-digit unemployment
• SecondaryHelsinki Times - Finland records highest unemployment rate in the EUFinland registered the highest unemployment rate in the EU in November 2025 according to Eurostat