On April 30, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, reported that in March this year the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union member states (EU-27) was 10.9 percent, unchanged from February. The unemployment rate in the region has risen markedly compared to the 10.3 percent recorded in March 2012. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 12.1 percent in March, up slightly compared to February, while it was 11 percent in March 2012.
Compared to March 2012, in March of the current year the unemployment rate in the EU-27 fell in eight states and increased in 19 states.
Among the EU-27 member states, in March the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.7%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (27.2% in January), Spain (26.7%) and Portugal (17.5%).