February 26, 2018

The most recent post by the Euro-stat, the statistical institute of the Eurozone, revealed that  nearly half (48.7%) of unemployed persons aged 16-64 in the European Union (EU) were at risk of poverty after social transfers in 2016. Persons at risk of poverty are those living in a household with an equivalised disposable income below the risk-of-poverty threshold, which is set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income (after social transfers). The risk of monetary poverty was five times greater than for those in employment, which was at (9.6%).

According to the statistical institute “Over the past 10 years, the proportion of unemployed persons at risk of poverty has risen continually, from 41.5% in 2006 to 48.7% in 2016.”

 Highest share of unemployed persons at risk by locality

Across the EU Member States in 2016, the rate of unemployed persons at risk of poverty was highest in Germany (70.8%), followed at a distance by Lithuania (60.5%). Over half of unemployed persons in Latvia (55.8%), Bulgaria (54.9%), Estonia (54.8%), the Czech Republic (52.3%), Romania (51.4%) and Sweden (50.3%) were at risk of poverty.

At the opposite end of the scale, fewer than 40% of unemployed persons were at risk of poverty in Cyprus and Finland (both 37.3%), France (38.4%) and Denmark (38.6%).