Unemployment rate recorded as 9% in Euro zone

Unemployment rate recorded as 9% in Euro zone

EU statistics institution Eurostat reports that the average unemployment rate in 25 member states of European Union (EU) was recorded as 9.1% in June. Moreover, the average unemployment rate in Euro zone was stable at 9% in June, compared to May. This rate was 8.9% in June 2003. In the aforementioned period, lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Luxembourg and Austria with 4.2% for each, Cyprus with 4.4%, Ireland with 4.5%, the UK with 4.7% and Netherlands with 4.8% while the highest rates were registered in Poland with 18.9%, Slovakia with 16.2% and Spain with 11.1%. Eleven member states recorded an increase in their unemployment rate, twelve a decrease and two maintained the same levels. According to forecast of Eurostat, in June, 12.7 million people were unemployed in Euro zone and 19.4 million in the EU. Eurostat also emphasized that the unemployment rate for the same period is recorded as 5.6% in US and 4.6% in Japan.