Brussels, 02/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro zone was 8.8% in October 2003, the same as the previous month, according to data published on Tuesday by Eurostat. In October 2002, it was 8.5% In the EU15, the rate was 8.0%, unchanged from September, as against 7.8% in October 2002.
The lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (3.9%), the Netherlands (4.0% in September), Austria (4.5%) and Ireland (4.6%). The highest was in Spain (11.2%). The greatest relative increases were noted in the Netherlands (from 2.8% in September 2002 to 4.0% in September 2003), Luxembourg (from 3.0% to 3.9%), and Denmark (from 4.8% to 6.0%). Spain's unemployment rate fell from 11.4% to 11.2%, and Finland's from 9.0% to 8.9% The unemployment rate for men in the euro zone rose from 7.4% to 7.8%, and for women from 9.9% to 10.2% In the EU15, it rose from 7.0% to 7.3% for men and from 8.8% to 9.0% for women. In October 2003, the unemployment rate for the under-25s was 16.8% in the euro zone and 15.7% in the EU15 (16.3% and 15.2% respectively in October 2002).
According to Eurostat estimates, 12.4 million men and women were unemployed in October 2003 in the euro zone, and 14.3 million in EU15.