Brussels, 08/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - In September 2006, the unemployment rate of the euro zone stood at 7.8%, unchanged from the previous month and down on the same period in the year 2005, when it stood at 8.5%. The unemployment rate for the EU of 25 rose to 8% last September, which was also unchanged on August 2006 and down on the level of 8.7% one year previously. In September 2006, the lowest rates were recorded in Denmark (3.5%), the Netherlands (4.0%), Ireland (4.2%), Estonia (4.4%) and Austria (4.7%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Poland (14.1%), Slovakia (12.8%), Greece (9.0% in the second quarter of 2006), France (8.9%) and Germany (8.7%). Nineteen Member States recorded a drop in their employment rate over the last year and five an increase. The greatest relative reductions were to be seen in Estonia (from 7.2% to 4.4%), Denmark (from 4.6% to 3.5%), Latvia (from 8.7% to 6.8%) and Slovakia (from 16.3% to 12.8%). The greatest relative increases were recorded in the United Kingdom (from 4.6% in July 2005 to 5.6% in July 2006), Luxembourg (from 4.7% to 4.9%) and in Hungary (from 7.3% to 7.6%). In September 2006, the unemployment rate in the United States stood at 4.6% and that of Japan at 4.2%. (ab)