On July 31, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, announced that in June this year the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union member states (EU-27) was 10.9 percent, down from 11 percent in May. The unemployment rate in the region in June indicated an increase compared to the 10.5 percent recorded in June 2012. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 12.1 percent in June, stable compared to May, while it was 11.4 percent in June 2012.
Compared to June 2012, in June of the current year the unemployment rate in the EU-27 fell in 10 states and increased in 17 states.
Among the EU-27 member states, in June the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.6%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (26.9% in April 2013) and in Spain (26.3%).
Meanwhile, in June this year the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.6 percent, stable compared to previous month and down from 8.2 percent in June 2012.