Brussels, 10/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - Regional unemployment levels in the EU in 2004 ranged between 2.4% in Dorset & Somerset in the United Kingdom and 32.8% in La Réunion (a Caribbean island that is part of France). Overall, the unemployment in the EU did not change, remaining at 9.2% of the working population between 2003 and 2004, but unemployment levels rose in 57% of the NUTS 2 regions of the EU. Of the 254 NUTS 2 regions, 44 had unemployment equal or below the EU average (4.6%). The country with the lowest unemployment levels, 21 of these regions, is the United Kingdom, followed by Italy (7 regions), Austria (6), the Netherlands (5), and Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal (1 region each). 21 regions had unemployment of at least 18.4%. These include 9 regions of Poland and 6 regions of Germany, the 4 DOM-TOM (French overseas territories) and 2 regions of Slovakia. The lowest levels of unemployment amongst women were recorded in regions of the United Kingdom (2% in Dorset & Somerset) and the lowest levels of youth unemployment were recorded in regions of the Netherlands (5.4% in Zeeland).