01/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - Unemployment in the eurozone stood at 7.2% in December 2007, unchanged on the previous month, according to Eurostat figures released on 31 January. Unemployment stood at 7.8% in December 2006. In the EU27, unemployment fell to 6.8% in December 2007 from 6.9% in November 2007 and 7.6% in December 2006. In December 2007 the lowest rates of unemployment were recorded in the Netherlands (2.9%) and Denmark (3.1%), and the highest in Slovakia (10.8%) and Spain (8.6%). 24 member states recorded a fall in unemployment over a year, particularly Poland (from 11.8% to 8.1%) and Bulgaria (from 8.2% to 5.8%), while three experienced a rise, the highest being in Spain (from 8.2% to 8.6%). In December 2007, unemployment stood at 5.0% in the United States and 3.8% in Japan. (A.B.)