Brussels, 29/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - In March 2011, seasonally corrected unemployment stood at 9.9% in the eurozone (compared with 10.1% in March 2010) and 9.5% in the EU27 (compared with 9.7% in March 2010). According to Eurostat's estimates, some 22.828 million men and women were unemployed in March 2011 in the EU27 and 15,596 million in the eurozone. The number of unemployed fell by 291,000 in the EU27 and 260,000 in the eurozone from March 2010 to March 2011.
In March 2011, the lowest unemployment was recorded in the Netherlands (4.2%), Austria (4.3%) and Luxembourg (4.5%) and the highest in Spain (20.7%), Lithuania (17.3% in Q410) and Latvia (17.2% in Q410).
From March 2010 to March 2011, unemployment (1) fell in 16 Member States. The greatest falls were seen (from Q409 to Q410) in Latvia (from 20.1% to17.2%) and Estonia (from 16.1% to 14,3%). In Germany, unemployment fell from 7.4% in March 2010 to 6.3% in March 2011; (2) increased in 10 Member States. The greatest rises were seen in Greece (from 10.2% to 14.1% between Q409 and Q410) and, from March 2010 to March 2011, in Bulgaria (from 9.7% to 11.4%) and Ireland (from 13.1% to 14.7%); and (3) did not change in Poland (9.8%).
Eurostat points out that (1) between March 2010 and March 2011, male unemployment fell from 9.9% to 9.6% in the eurozone and from 9.8% to 9.4% in the EU27. Female unemployment fell from 10.3% to 10.2% in the eurozone but rose from 9.5% to 9.6% in the EU27; (2) in March 2011, unemployment amongst people aged under 25 was 19.8% in the eurozone and 20.7% in the EU27 (compared with 20.9% and 21.1% respectively); and (3) unemployment in the United States stood at 8.8% in March 2011 and 4.6% in Japan (in February 2011). (G.B./transl.fl)