There are 13 million unemployed in Europe in 2026.

Omissions

• The MEP says 'Europe' but the data refers specifically to the EU-27, not the broader European continent.
• The figure is rounded down from approximately 13.2 million to 13 million — a ~1.8% difference, within normal rounding tolerance.
• At the time of the session (2026-05-20), the most recent published Eurostat data was for March 2026 (13.226 million, published 2026-04-30). The April 2026 data (13.238 million) was published on 2026-06-01, after the session date, though it describes a period before the session.
• The MEP presents the absolute number without the unemployment rate (6.0% in April 2026), which remains historically low for the EU, thus omitting context that could alter the audience's perception.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Euro indicatorsEurostat estimates that 13.226 million persons in the EU, of whom 10.984 million in the euro area, were unemployed in March 2026.
• PrimaryEurostat — Euro indicatorsEurostat estimates that 13.238 million persons in the EU, of whom 11.075 million in the euro area, were unemployed in April 2026.
• SecondaryDestatis (German Federal Statistical Office)In the EU-27 a total of 13.2 million citizens were without employment in April 2026. This represents an unemployment rate of 6.0%.