Brussels, 31/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - Unemployment in the eurozone and the whole of the EU fell slightly again, by 0.1%, in the month of February, for the first time since December 2014, according to the latest figures from the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, published on Tuesday 31 March.
Unemployment stood at 11.3% for the eurozone in February and 9.8% for the EU, the lowest levels since May 2012. This 0.1% fall, however, comes after three months of stagnation. Variations among the member states were very slight in February, rarely more than 0.1%. The only improvements of 0.2% or more were recorded in Spain (23.2% compared with 23.4% in January), Malta (5.9% compared with 6.1%) and Poland (7.8% compared with 8%). Unemployment increased in Lithuania (10% compared with 9.8%) and Portugal (14.1% compared with 13.8%).
Youth unemployment remained the same in January and February, standing at 22.9% in the eurozone and 21.1% in the EU29, but the overall figure hides hikes in Italy, where youth unemployment rose by 1.4% to 42.6%, and Portugal, where it rose by 0.5% to 35%. Three member states experienced falls in youth unemployment - namely Denmark (-0.4%), the Netherlands (-0.7%) and Slovakia (-0.6%). (Jan Kordys)