Luxembourg, 04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat, announced on Tuesday that unemployment in the euro zone was stable in November 1999, staying at 9.8% of the active population, the same as in October. There was the same stability in the EU as a whole, at 9% (the euro zone rate is brought down by the fact that the Member States with the highest rate of unemployment, such as Spain, are part of this zone, whereas some countries with a lower average rate, such as Denmark, the United Kingdom and Sweden, are not part).
The note from Eurostat gives the following indications per country and per category:
"Lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.6%) and in the Netherlands (2.8% in October) followed by Austria (4.2%), Denmark (4.2% in October) and Portugal (4.7%).
Spain's 15.4% was still the EU's highest rate. In the last twelve months, notable relative falls were recorded in the Netherlands (from 3.6% to 2.8% in October), in Ireland (from 7.3% to 6.0%), and in Spain (from 18.1% to 15.4%).
EU unemployment of under-25s ranged from less than 6% in the Netherlands (in October), Luxembourg, Austria and Denmark (in October) to over 30% in Italy (in October). In November and EU15-wide, it was 17.3% and 18.4% in the euro-zone. In November 1998 it was 19.1% and 20.8% respectively.
US unemployment was 4.1%; the Japanese rate 4.6% (in October).
Eurostat estimates 12.6 million men and women were unemployed in the euro-zone and 15.2 million in EU15 in November. These are seasonally-adjusted figures in line with ILO criteria".