Moldova’s unemployment rate declined to 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 3.5% in the previous quarter. This marked the lowest level since the third quarter of 2022, driven by a reduction in the number of unemployed persons by 6.5 thousand, to 24.5 thousand.
Unemployment among men fell to 2.9% from 3.9%, while the rate for women edged down to 3.0% from 3.1%. Youth unemployment (ages 15–24) dropped sharply to 0% from 6.8%.
Despite the lower unemployment rate, overall labor market engagement weakened. The employment rate fell to 40.8% from 43.4%, as the number of employed persons decreased by 49.7 thousand to 806.4 thousand. The labor force participation rate also declined, to 42.1% from 44.9% in the third quarter.
