Eurostat estimates that 23.057 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 15.833 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in July 2010. Compared with June, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 45,000 in the EU27 and by 8,000 in the euro area. Compared with July 2009, unemployment rose by 1.108 million in the EU27 and by 0.668 million in the euro area.
These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Among the EU member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (3.8%) and the Netherlands (4.4% in June 2010), and the highest rates in Spain (20.3%), Latvia (20.1% in the first quarter of 2010) and Estonia (18.6% in the second quarter of 2010).
Compared with a year ago, three member states recorded a fall in the unemployment rate, two remained stable and twenty-two showed an increase. The falls were observed in Austria (5.1% to 3.8%), Malta (7.3% to 6.5%) and Germany (7.6% to 6.9%). The highest increases were registered in Latvia (13.5% to 20.1% between the first quarters of 2009 and 2010) and Lithuania (11.2% to 17.3% between the first quarters of 2009 and 2010).
Between July 2009 and July 2010, the unemployment rate for males rose from 9.5% to 9.8% in the euro area and from 9.2% to 9.6% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 9.8% to 10.3% in the euro area and from 9.0% to 9.6% in the EU27.
In July 2010, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 19.6% in the euro area and 20.2% in the EU27. In July 2009 it was 19.8% and 20.1% respectively. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (8.1% in June 2010), and the highest rates in Spain (41.5%), Latvia (39.5% in the first quarter of 2010) and Estonia (37.2% in the second quarter of 2010).
In July 2010, the unemployment rate was 9.5% in the USA and 5.2% in Japan.
