Brussels, 29/08/2008 (Agence Europe) - According to figures published by Eurostat on Friday 29 August, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the 15 countries of the euro area was 7.3% in July 2008, unchanged from June. It stood at 7.4% in July 2007. In the EU27, the unemployment rate stood at 6.8% in July 2008, as in June. It was 7.1% in July 2007.
16.292 million men and women were unemployed in the EU27 in July 2008, with 11.372 of these in the euro area. Compared with June 2008, unemployment fell by 73,000 in the EU27 and rose by 25,000 in the euro area. Compared with July 2007, unemployment was down by 563,000 in the EU27 and up by 59,000 in the euro area. In July, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Denmark (2.3%) and the Netherlands (2.6%), and the highest in Spain (11%) and Slovakia (10.3%). The largest falls from last year were in Poland (from 9.5% in July 2007 to 6.8%) and in Denmark (from 4.1% to 2.3%), and the largest increases were in Spain (from 8.2% to 11%) and in Ireland (from 4.6% to 5.9%). (L.C./transl.rt)