Brussels, 03/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - In March 2006, the unemployment rate in the euro zone reached 8.1% of the active population, compared to 8.2% in February and 8.8% in the same period in 2005. In the EU of 25, the unemployment rate stood at 8.4%, unchanged from the previous month and down on March 2005, when it stood at 8.9%. In March 2006, the lowest rates were recorded in the Netherlands (4.0%), Ireland (4.2%), Denmark (4.3%) Luxembourg (4.8%) and the United Kingdom (5.0% in January). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Poland (16.8%), Slovakia (15.7%), Greece (9.6% in the fourth quarter of 2005) and France (9.1%). 17 Member States reported a drop in their employment rate over the period of one year, six an increase and one remained stable. The greatest relative decreases were to be seen in Estonia (from 8.8% to 5.3%), Lithuania (from 9.2% to 6.4%), Denmark (from 5.4% 4.3%), the Netherlands (from 4.9% to 4.0%) and in Latvia (from 9.1% to 7.6%). The steepest increases were observed in Malta (from 7.2% to 8.1%), Luxembourg (from 4.3% to 4.8%), Hungary (from 6.8% to 7.4%), the United Kingdom (from 4.7% in January 2005 to 5.0% in January 2006) and in Portugal (from 7.4% to 7.6%). In March 2006, the unemployment rate in the United States stood at 4.7%, and Japan's at 4.1%..