9 - 15 December 1999

Euro-zone unemployment below 10 per cent

by a staff reporter

The euro-zone seasonally-adjusted unemployment was below 10.0 per cent for the first time since December 1992 and decreased to 9.9 per cent in October 1999, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities in Luxembourg, has reported. This compares to 10.0 per cent in September 1999 and to 10.6 per cent in October 1998.

Malta has an unemployment rate of about five per cent.

The EU15 rate was 9.1 per cent in October 1999, same as September. In October a year before it was 9.7 per cent.

Lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.7 per cent) and in the Netherlands (3.0 per cent in September) followed by Austria (4.2 per cent), Denmark (4.3 per cent in September) and Portugal (4.6 per cent).

Spain's 15.3 per cent was still the EU's highest rate. In the last 12 months, notable relative falls were recorded in the Netherlands (from 3.7 per cent to 3.0 per cent in September), in Ireland (from 7.4 per cent to 6.2 per cent), and in Spain (from 18.5 per cent to 15.3 per cent).

EU unemployment of under-25s ranged from 5.5 per cent in Austria to 32.5 per cent in Italy (in July). EU15-wide, it was 17.5 per cent, and 18.7 per cent in the euro-zone. A year earlier it was 19.3 per cent and 21.0 per cent respectively.

US unemployment stood at 4.1 per cent; the Japanese rate 4.6 per cent.

Eurostat estimates 12.7 million men and women were unemployed in the euro-zone and 15.4 million in EU15 in October. These are seasonally-adjusted figures in line with International Labour Organisation criteria.

Unemployment rates (per cent) in October & September in ascending order

Oct Sept

EU15 9.1 9.1

Portugal 4.6 4.7

Eurozone 9.9 10.0

Ireland 6.2 6.4

Sweden 6.6 6.8

Belgium 8.9 8.9

Luxembourg 2.7 2.7

Germany 9.1 9.2

Netherlands - 3.0

Finland 10.0 10.0

Austria 4.2 4.2

France 10.6 10.8

Denmark 4.3 -

Spain 15.3 15.4