Euro area unemployment at 9.3% (EU28 at 7.8%)

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.3% in May 2017, stable compared to April 2017 and down from 10.2% in May 2016. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since March 2009. The EU28 unemployment rate was 7.8% in May 2017, stable compared to April 2017 and down from 8.7% in May 2016. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since December 2008. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Eurostat estimates that 19.092 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 15.011 million in the euro area, were unemployed in May 2017. Compared with April 2017, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 32 000 in the EU28 and by 16 000 in the euro area. Compared with May 2016, unemployment fell by 2.145 million in the EU28 and by 1.452 million in the euro area. Member States Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in May 2017 were recorded in the Czech Republic (3.0%), Germany (3.9%) and Malta (4.1%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (22.5% in March 2017) and Spain (17.7%). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in May 2017 fell in all Member States for which data is comparable over time. The largest decreases were registered in Croatia (from 13.4% to 10.7%), Spain (from 20.2% to 17.7%) and Ireland (from 8.4% to 6.4%). In May 2017, the unemployment rate in the United States was 4.3%, down from 4.4% in April 2017 and from 4.7% in May 2016. Youth unemployment In May 2017, 3.762 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.621 million were in the euro area. Compared with May 2016, youth unemployment decreased by 585 000 in the EU28 and by 402 000 in the euro area. In May 2017, the youth unemployment rate was 16.9% in the EU28 and 18.9% in the euro area, compared with 19.0% and 21.3% respectively in May 2016. In May 2017, the lowest rate was observed in Germany (6.7%), while the highest were recorded in Greece (46.6% in March 2017), Spain (38.6%) and Italy (37.0%). 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. When data for the most recent month are not available for a Member State, EU and EA aggregates are calculated using the latest data available for that Member State. Source: Eurostat Statistics