On January 31, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, reported that in December last year the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union member states (EU-28) was 10.7 percent, down from 10.8 percent recorded in both November and December 2012. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 12 percent in December, stable since October, while it was 11.9 percent in December 2012.
Compared to December 2012, in December last year the unemployment rate in the EU-28 fell in 13 states, increased in 14 states and remained stable in Sweden.
Among the EU-28 member states, in December the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9%), Germany (5.1%) and Luxembourg (6.2%), and the highest in Greece (27.8% in October 2013) and in Spain (25.8%).
Meanwhile, in December last year the unemployment rate in the United States was 6.7 percent, down from 7.9 percent in December 2012.