Unemployment rate in EU at its lowest level since beginning of the century, according to Eurostat

The unemployment rate in the European Union stood at 6.5% in January 2019, its lowest level since January 2000 and the start of EU monthly unemployment series, according to the latest figures from the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat) published on Friday ¹ March. 

This figure is the result of a gradual decline in the European unemployment rate over the last five years, from 7.2% to 6.6% between January and December 2018. 

Eurostat estimates that in January 2019, 16.222 million Europeans were unemployed in the EU, a decrease of 56,000 unemployed compared to December 2018. Compared to January 2018, unemployment in the EU is estimated to have fallen by 1.536 million people. 

The unemployment rate in the euro area stood at 7.8% in January 2019, or 12.848 million people, its lowest rate since October 2008 in the euro area, according to Eurostat. This represents a decrease of only 23,000 unemployed compared to December 2018, but 1.233 million compared to January 2018, when the rate was 8.6%. (Original version in French by Damien Génicot - intern)