Euro area unemployment at 10.1%, EU28 at 8.6% | WPN World People News

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.1% in August 2016, stable compared to July 2016 and down from 10.7% in August 2015. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since July 2011. The EU28 unemployment rate was 8.6% in August 2016, stable compared to July 2016 and down from 9.3% in August 2015. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since March 2009. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat estimates that 20.973 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 16.326 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2016. Compared with July 2016, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 40 000 in the EU28, while it increased by 8 000 in the euro area. Compared with August 2015, unemployment fell by 1.587 million in the EU28 and by 875 000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in August 2016 were recorded in the Czech Republic (3.9%) and Germany (4.2%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (23.4% in June 2016) and Spain (19.5%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in August 2016 fell in twenty-four Member States, remained stable in Denmark, while it increased in Estonia (from 5.3% to 6.8% between July 2015 and July 2016), Austria (from 5.7% to 6.2%) and Belgium (from 8.0% to 8.2%). The largest decreases were registered in Croatia (from 16.6% to 12.9%) and Cyprus (from 14.7% to 12.1%).

In August 2016, the unemployment rate in the United States was 4.9%, stable compared to July 2016 and down from 5.1% in August 2015.

Youth unemployment

In August 2016, 4.199 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.927 million were in the euro area. Compared with August 2015, youth unemployment decreased by 381 000 in the EU28 and by 209 000 in the euro area. In August 2016, the youth unemployment rate was 18.6% in the EU28 and 20.7% in the euro area, compared with 20.1% and 22.3% respectively in August 2015. In August 2016, the lowest rate was observed in Germany (6.9%), and the highest were recorded in Greece (47.7% in June 2016), Spain (43.2%) and Italy (38.8%).

Geographical information

The euro area (EA19) includes Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland. The European Union (EU28) includes Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Methods and definition

Eurostat produces harmonised unemployment rates for individual EU Member States, the euro area and the EU. These unemployment rates are based on the definition recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The measurement is based on a harmonised source, the European Union Labour Force Survey (LFS). Based on the ILO definition, Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who:
- are without work;
- are available to start work within the next two weeks;
- and have actively sought employment at some time during the previous four weeks.

The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force. The labour force is the total number of people employed plus unemployed. In this news release unemployment rates are based on employment and unemployment data covering persons aged 15 to 74.

The youth unemployment rate is the number of people aged 15 to 24 unemployed as a percentage of the labour force of the same age. Therefore, the youth unemployment rate should not be interpreted as the share of jobless people in the overall youth population.

Country notes

Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Iceland: the trend component is used instead of the more volatile seasonally adjusted data. Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Norway: 3-month moving averages of LFS data are used instead of pure monthly indicators.

Revisions and timetable

The data in this News Release can be subject to revisions, caused by updates to the seasonally adjusted series whenever new monthly data are added; the inclusion of the most recent LFS data in the calculation process; update of seasonal adjustment models with complete annual data.

Compared with the rates published in News Release 163/2016 of 31 August 2016, the July 2016 unemployment rate remains unchanged for both the EA19 and the EU28. Among Member States, rates have been revised by more than 0.1 percentage points (pp) downwards for Croatia, Portugal and Finland (all three by 0.2 pp). The unemployment rate has been revised by more than 0.1 pp upwards for Malta (by 1.0 pp) and Cyprus (by 0.5 pp).

Source: European Commission