Euro-zone seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 8.8 per cent in December 2003, unchanged compared to November, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, reports today. It was 8.6 per cent in December 2002.
The EU15 unemployment rate was 8.0 per cent in December 2003, unchanged compared to November
In December 2003, lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (3.9 per cent), the Netherlands (4.1 per cent in November), Ireland (4.5 per cent) and Austria (4.6 per cent).
Spain's rate, at 11.2 per cent, remained the EU's highest.
Among the Member States for which data are available for the most recent months, ten recorded an increase in their unemployment rate over a year, three a decrease and one remained stable.
The Netherlands (3.0 per cent in November 2002 to 4.1 per cent in November 2003), Denmark (4.9 per cent to 6.1 per cent) and Luxembourg (3.2 per cent to 3.9 per cent) recorded the most important relative increases.
Italy's unemployment rate fell from 8.9 per cent in October 2002 to 8.4 per cent in October 2003, the United Kingdom's rate decreased from 5.1 per cent in October 2002 to 4.9 per cent in October 2003, Spain's rate fell from 11.5% to 11.2 per cent and Finland's remained the same at 9.0 per cent.
In December 2003 compared to December 2002, the unemployment rate for males in the euro-zone grew from 7.6 per cent to 7.8 per cent, while the female unemployment rate rose from 10.0 per cent to 10.1 per cent.
Eurostat estimates that, in December 2003, 12.3 million men and women were unemployed in the euro-zone and 14.2 million in the EU15.