According to a report released on October 1 by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, the unemployment rate in European Union member states (EU-27) was 9.1 percent in August this year, compared with 9.0 percent in July. This is the highest rate recorded since March 2004.
Eurostat estimates that 21.87 million men and women in the EU-27 were unemployed in August this year, up 236,000 month on month and up around five million year on year.
Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands, at 3.5 percent, and Austria, at 4.7 percent, while the highest rates were recorded in Spain, at 18.9 percent, and in Latvia, at 18.3 percent.
Compared with a year ago, all member states have recorded an increase in their unemployment rates. Comparing the second quarters of 2008 and 2009, the smallest increases were observed in Belgium, from 7.5 percent to 7.9 percent, and in Germany, from 7.2 percent to 7.7 percent. The highest increases were registered in Latvia, from 7.4 percent to 18.3 percent, and Estonia, from 4.1 percent to 13.3 percent.
The unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in the US in August this year, while in Japan it stood at 5.7 percent in July.