07/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – Seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.2% and 0.3% respectively in the euro area and the European Union in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to figures published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) on Thursday 7 March. Growth is thereby stable in the European Union compared to the third quarter of last year, but is up by 0.1 percentage point in the euro area. Between the fourth quarters of 2017 and 2018, GDP grew by 1.1% in the euro area and by 1.4% in the EU. These rates hide significant disparities between Member States. Consequently, in the fourth quarter of last year, GDP fell by 0.1% in Greece and Italy, while it rose by 2.2% in Estonia. On the employment side, Eurostat notes that the number of people employed increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the European Union over the same period. (LT)