Luxembourg, 06/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - According to data released on 5 October by Eurostat, unemployment rates in the Euro-zone and European Union (EU25) both rose to 9.0% in August 2004, unchanged compared to July rates. Lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (4.3%), Ireland (4.4%), Cyprus and Austria (4.5%) and the United Kingdom (4.7% in June). Highest rates were observed in Poland (18.7%), Slovakia (15.7%), Lithuania and Spain (11.0%). The EU Statistical Office also indicated that in August 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 8.9% in the Euro-zone and 9.1% in the EU25. Fourteen Member States experiences a rise in their yearly unemployment rates and eleven a fall. The sharpest increases were registered in the Netherlands (from 3.8% in July 2003 to 4.8% in July 2004), in Luxembourg (from 3.8% to 4.3%), in Sweden (from 5.7% to 6.2%) and the Czech Republic (from 8.0% to 8.5%). The most significant falls were observed in Estonia (from 10.1% to 8.7%), Lithuania (12.5% to 11.0%) and Slovenia (6.7% to 6.2%).