Brussels, 07/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - According to figures published by Eurostat, the Euro area unemployment rate stood at 7.2% in November 2007, unchanged compared with October3. It was 7.9% in November 2006. The EU271 unemployment rate was 6.9% in November 2007, the same as in October3. It was 7.7% in November 2006. In November 2007, the lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (2.9%) and Denmark (3.2%), and the highest in Slovakia (11.0%) and Poland (8.5%).
Twenty-three Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate, two an increase, and
Luxembourg and Romania remained stable. The largest relative falls were observed in Poland (12.2% to 8.5%) and Bulgaria (8.2% to 5.8%). Increases were registered in Portugal (7.9% to 8.2%) and Ireland (4.2% to 4.3%). In November 2007, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 14.2% in the Euro area and 14.9% in the EU27. In November 2006 it was 15.8% and 16.5% respectively. Eurostat estimates that 16.4 million men and women in the EU27, of which 11.0 million were in the Euro area, were
unemployed in November 2007. In November 2006, 18.3 million men and women in the EU27, of which 12.0 million were in the Euro area, were unemployed. In November 2007, the unemployment rate was 4.7% in the USA and 3.8% in Japan. (L.C.)