The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Euro-zone was 11.1% in May, stable compared to April and lower than in May 2014 (11.6%). This is the lowest rate in the Euro-zone since March 2012, reveals Eurostat, the EU statistics bureau, on Tuesday. Within the EU28, the unemployment rate was 9.6%, also stable compared to April 2015 and lower than the 10.3% recorded in May 2014. This is the lowest rate since July 2011, adds Eurostat.
Amongst EU members, the lowest rate was recorded in Germany (4.7%), whilst Greece (25.6% in March) and Spain (22.5%) registered the highest rates. In Belgium April’s unemployment rate was 8.6% compared to 8.7% last month and 8.4% in May 2014.
Over the course of a year, the unemployment rate has dropped in 22 Member States, has gone up in 5 other Member States and remained stable in Cyprus. The largest drops were recorded in Lithuania (down from 11.0% to 8.2%), Spain (down from 24.7% to 22.5%) and Ireland (down from 11.7% to 9.8%). The countries with an unemployment rate on the rise were Belgium (up from 8.4% to 8.6%), France (up from 10.1% to 10.3%), Romania (up from 6.8% to 7.1%), Austria (up from 5.6% to 6.0 and in Finland (up from 8.6% to 9.4%).
(Source: Belga)
