University degree: Where in Europe it gives you the biggest edge in the job market?

According to Euronews' analysis of Eurostat data, the advantage of a university degree depends heavily on where you live. In Central and Eastern Europe, the situation is particularly favorable – in Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria, unemployment among people aged 25–54 with tertiary education is below 1.5%.

In contrast, in North Macedonia, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the rate is around 7%. Within the EU, Greece has the highest graduate unemployment at roughly 6%. France (4.7%) and Spain (5.7%) also exceed the EU average of 3.6%, while Italy and Germany are around 3% each.

Overall unemployment for the 25–54 age group in the EU averages 5.4%. Spain, despite strong economic growth, has over 9% unemployment – higher than non-EU countries like Serbia (8.7%) and Turkey (7.5%). The lowest rates are in the Czech Republic (2.4%), Malta (2.5%), Poland (2.7%) and the Netherlands (2.9%), with Germany below 4%.

Regarding young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), the EU average is 11%, ranging from 5% in the Netherlands to 19% in Romania. Ten member states exceed the average, with Italy, Bulgaria and Greece above 13%. Over the past decade, the NEET rate across the EU fell by more than 4%, with the largest drops in Italy and Greece, but slight increases in Germany, Luxembourg and Austria.

Notably, NEET rates are similar between men and women (12% vs 10%) and across urban, suburban and rural areas, although rural residents are slightly more likely to be NEETs (12% vs 11% on average).