Brussels, 01/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The level of unemployment in the euro-zone was 8.3% in January 2006, the same as in December 2005, but lower than in January 2005, when it stood at 8.8%. In the EU-25, unemployment stood at 8.5% in January 2006, also unchanged from the previous month and down on the 8.9% registered in January 2005. The lowest rates were recorded in Ireland (4.3%), Denmark (4.4%) the Netherlands (4.6%), the United Kingdom (5%) in November) and Austria (5.2%). The highest were in Poland (17.2%), Slovakia (15.8%), Greece (10.1%) in the third quarter of 2005), France (9.2%) and Germany (9.1%). Sixteen Member States recorded a drop in unemployment rates over the year, six an increase and two remained unchanged. The largest decreases were in Estonia (from 8.9% to 6.2%), Lithuania (from 9.6% to 6.9%) and Denmark (from 5.2% in December 2004 to 4.4% in December 2005), while the largest increases were recorded in Luxemburg (from 4.9% to 5.5%), Hungary (from 6.6% in December 2004 to 7.3% in December 2005, Malta (from 7.1% to 7.8%), the United Kingdom (from 4.6% in November 2004 to 5.0% in November 2005) and Portugal (from 7.2% to 7.7%). In January 2006, the unemployment level in the United States stood at 4.7% and in Japan unemployment was 4.4% in December 2005.