Brussels, 06/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - According to a flash estimate published by Eurostat on Friday 6 January, the seasonally-adjusted rate of unemployment in the eurozone stood at 10.3% of the working-age population in November 2011, unchanged on October and compared with 10.0% in November 2010. In the EU27, unemployment stood at 9.8% in November 2011, unchanged on October and compared with 9.6% in November 2010.
The lowest unemployment was recorded in Austria (4.0%), Luxembourg and the Netherlands (both 4.9%), and the highest in Spain (22.9%), Greece (18.8% in September 2011) and Lithuania (15.3% in the third quarter of 2011). Over the past year, unemployment has fallen in 14 member states and risen in the remaining 13. The greatest falls were seen in Estonia (from 16.1% to 11.3% between Q310 and Q311), Latvia (from 18.2% to 14.8% between Q310 and Q311) and Lithuania (from 18.3% to 15.3% between Q310 and Q311). The sharpest increases were recorded in Greece (from 13.3% to 18.8% between September 2010 and September 2011), Cyprus (from 6.0% to 9.1%) and Spain (from 20.4% to 22.9%). In November 2011, unemployment stood at 8.6% in the United States and 4.5% in Japan. (LC/transl.fl)