Euro area unemployment rate stable at 10.1%, EU27 stable at 9.6%

The euro area1 (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.1% in August 2010, unchanged compared with July. It was 9.7% in August 2009. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010, also unchanged compared with July. It was 9.2% in August 2009.

Eurostat estimates that 23.066 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 15.869 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2010. Compared with July, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 68 000 in the EU27 and by 20 000 in the euro area. Compared with August 2009, unemployment rose by 0.894 million in the EU27 and by 0.569 million in the euro area.

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.3%) and the Netherlands (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (20.5%), Latvia (19.5% in the second quarter of 2010), Estonia (18.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Lithuania (18.2% in the second quarter of 2010).

news source: Eurostat link: publication