Brussels, 04/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The unemployment rate in the euro zone rose by 0.1 points between February and March 2005 to reach 8.9%. In March 2004, it stood at 8.8%. In the EU25, it remained unchanged compared to February 2005, at 8.9%, compared to 9% one year earlier. In March, the lowest rates were recorded in Ireland (4.3%), Luxembourg (4.5%), Austria (4.6%) and the United Kingdom (4.7%) while the highest rates were to be found in Poland (18.1%), Slovakia (15.9%), Greece (10.2%) and Spain (10.2%). Among the Member States, thirteen recorded a fall in their unemployment rate over one year, ten an increase and two remained stable. The largest falls were recorded in Lithuania (from 11.4% to 8.6%), Estonia (from 9.8% to 7.9%), Slovakia (from 18.7% to 15.9%) and Malta (from 7.8% to 6.8%). The Netherlands (from 4.4% to 5%), Luxembourg (from 4.1% to 4.5%) and Hungary (from 5.8% to 6.3%) on the other hand had the most significant relative increases. In March 2005, the United States notched up an unemployment rate of 5.2% and Japan 4.5%.