According to Eurostat, the unemployment rates varied widely across the EU regions in 2011. Thus, the highest rates were registered in the regions of Andalucía (30.4%) and Canarias (29.7%) in Spain while the lowest rates were recorded in the regions of Tirol and Salzburg (both 2.5%) in Austria and Zeeland (2.7%) in the Netherlands. In addition, seventeen regions had a rate of 19.2% or higher, double that of the EU: ten regions in Spain, four French Overseas Departments and three regions in Greece.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published its data on regional unemployment for 2011, compiled on the basis of the EU Labour Force Survey. The figures show that among the regions, 44 had an unemployment rate of 4.8% or less, half the average for the EU. They included sixteen regions in Germany, ten of the twelve regions in the Netherlands, eight out of nine regions in Austria, four in Belgium, two in Italy and one each in the Czech Republic, France, Romania and the United Kingdom. At the other extreme, seventeen regions had a rate of 19.2% or higher, double that of the EU: ten regions in Spain, four French Overseas Departments and three regions in Greece. In 2010, the highest rates were registered in the French Overseas Department of Réunion (28.9%) and the regions of Canarias (28.7%) and Andalucía (28.0%) in Spain.

In 2011, these rates varied widely across the EU, with the lowest rates recorded in the regions of Tirol and Salzburg (both 2.5%) in Austria, Zeeland (2.7%) in the Netherlands and Oberbayern (2.8%), Niederbayern (2.9%) and Freiburg (3.0%) in Germany, while the highest rates were registered in the regions of Andalucía (30.4%) and Canarias (29.7%) in Spain and the French Overseas Department of Réunion (29.6%).

On the other hand, the female unemployment rate varied between 2.7% in Tirol in Austria and 39.1% in Ceuta in Spain, while the male rate ranged from 2.3% in Zeeland in the Netherlands and Salzburg and Tirol in Austria to 29.7% in the Canarias in Spain. Unemployment rates for young people also varied from 4.3% in Tübingen to 65.8% in Ceuta. In fact, the figures show that regional differences in the unemployment rate for young people are very marked.