On April 30, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, reported that in April this year the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union member states (EU-27) was 11 percent, unchanged from March. The unemployment rate in the region in April indicated an increase compared to the 10.3 percent recorded in April 2012. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 12.2 percent in April, up slightly compared to March, while it was 11.2 percent in April 2012.
Compared to April 2012, in April of the current year the unemployment rate in the EU-27 fell in nine states and increased in 18 states.
Among the EU-27 member states, in April the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.6%), and the highest in Greece (27.0% in February 2013), Spain (26.8%) and Portugal (17.8%).