Brussels, 31/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.2% in September 2011, compared with 10.1% in August. It was 10.1% in September 2010. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.7% in September 2011, compared with 9.6% in August. It was 9.6% in September 2010.
Eurostat (EU Official Statistics Office) estimates that 23.264 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 16.198 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2011. Compared with August 2011, the number of persons unemployed increased by 174,000 in the EU27 and by 188,000 in the euro area. Compared with September 2010, unemployment rose by 215,000 in the EU27 and by 329,000 in the euro area.
Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (3.9%), the Netherlands (4.5%) and Luxembourg (4.8%), and the highest in Spain (22.6%), Greece (17.6% in July) and Latvia (16.1% in the second quarter of 2011).
Between September 2010 and September 2011, the unemployment rate for males remained stable at 9.9% in the euro area and fell from 9.6% to 9.5% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 10.4% to 10.6% in the euro area and from 9.7% to 9.9% in the EU27.
Compared with September 2010, youth unemployment increased by 41,000 in the EU27 and by 71,000 in the euro area. In September 2011, the youth unemployment rate was 21.4% in the EU27 and 21.2% in the euro area. In September 2010 it was 20.9% and 20.8% respectively. The lowest rates were observed in Austria (7.1%) and the Netherlands (8.0%), and the highest in Spain (48.0%) and Greece (43.5% in July). (LC/transl.fl)