In September this year, the unemployment rate of the 34 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries fell by 0.1 percentage point to 5.2 percent compared to August, according to new figures published by the OECD. The number of unemployed in the OECD region in September was 33.1 million people, only 400,000 more than in April 2008.
In September, the unemployment rate for the euro area was at 8.1 percent, remaining unchanged month on month. In the given month, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in Mexico at 3.3 percent. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points both in Portugal to 6.6 percent and in Australia to 5.0 percent, fell by 0.2 percentage points in Belgium to 6.3 percent, in Ireland to 5.4 percent, in Latvia to 7.2 percent, in Luxembourg to 5.0 percent, in the Netherlands to 3.7 percent, in South Korea to 4.0 percent and in the US to 3.7 percent, recording the lowest rate since December 1969, and declined by 0.1 percentage point both in Canada to 5.9 percent and in Japan to 2.3 percent, while increasing by 0.3 percentage points in Italy to 10.1 percent, all compared to August.