EUROPE – EURO AREA UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 2009

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.9% in September 2017, down from 9.9% last year.

It is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since January 2009 according to figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Meanwhile the EU 28 unemployment rate was 7.5% in September, down from 8.4% last year and the lowest rate since 2008.

Eurostat estimates that 18.446 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 14.513 million in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2017. Compared with September 2016, unemployment fell by 2.076 million in the EU28 and by 1.463 million in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in September 2017 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.7%), Germany (3.6%) and Malta (4.1%). The highest unemployment rates were seen in Greece (21.0% in July 2017) and Spain (16.7%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all member states for which data is comparable over time, except Finland where it remained stable and Lithuania where it increased (from 7.6% to 7.7%).

Eurostat figures also showed that in September 2017, 3.7 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.656 million were in the euro area. Compared with September 2016, youth unemployment decreased by 396, 000 in the EU28 and by 229,000 in the euro area. In September 2017, the youth unemployment rate was 16.6% in the EU28 and 18.7% in the euro area, compared with 18.3% and 20.4% respectively in September 2016.

Source: www2.staffingindustry.com

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