Brussels, 03/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - According to Eurostat's most recent calculations published last Wednesday, the European rate of unemployment has reamined stable over the first two months of 2002, even if some data for certain countries (the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Portugal and Italy). In February 2002 it stood at 8.4%. in the Euro-zone and 7.7% throughout the EU. The lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (2.3% in January), Luxembourg (2.6% in January), Austria (3.9%), Denmark (4.2% in January), Ireland (4.3%), and Portugal (4.3% in January). Spain's 12.9% remained the EU's highest rate followed by Finland (9.0%), France (9.0%), Germany (8.1%), Belgium (6.7% and Sweden (5.1%). 11.5 million men and women were unemployed in the euro-zone and 13.4 million in the EU15.
Eurostat observes that in the last twelve months, the most important relative falls were recorded in the Netherlands (2.7% in January 2001 to 2.3% in January 2002), Italy (9.8% in January 2001 to 9.0% in January 2002) and Denmark (4.4% in January 2001 to 4.2% in January 2002). Ireland (3.7% to 4.3%), Austria (3.4% to 3.9%), Luxembourg (2.3% in January 2001 to 2.6% in January 2002) and Portugal (4.0% in January 2001 to 4.3% in January 2002). In February 2002 compared to February 2001, the unemployment rate for males in the euro-zone grew from 6.9% to 7.1%, while the female unemployment rate decreased from 10.3% to 10.1%. In the EU15 the unemployment rate for males grew from 6.6% in February 2001 to 6.7% in February 2002. Over the same period the female rate decreased from 9.1% to 8.9%. In February 2002, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 16.8% in the euro-zone and 15.6% in the EU15. This compares to 16.5% and 15.3% respectively a year earlier. In February 2002, it ranged from 5.3% in the Netherlands (in January) to 24.3% in Spain and 27.6% in Italy (in January).