(07 April 2015) – According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate was 11.3% in the euro area and 9,8% in the EU28 in February 2015. These are the lowest rates recorded since May 2012 (euro area) and September 2011 (EU28). In Greece and Spain, one youth in two is unemployed.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in February 2015 were recorded in Germany (4.8%) and Austria (5.3%), and the highest in Greece (26.0% in December 2014) and Spain (23.2%).
Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in February 2015 fell in twenty-two Member States and increased in six Member States. The largest decreases were registered in Estonia (8.4% to 6.2% between January 2014 and January 2015), Ireland (12.1% to 9.9%) and Bulgaria (12.3% to 10.2%). The largest increases were registered in Croatia (17.3% to 18.5%), Cyprus (15.6% to 16.3%) and Finland (8.4% to 9.1%).
In February 2015, the youth unemployment rate was 21.1% in the EU28 and 22.9% in the euro area, compared with 22.9% and 24.0% respectively in February 2014. The lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.2%), Austria (9.0%) and Denmark (10.2%), and the highest in Greece (51.2% in December 2014), Spain (50.7%), Croatia (46.4% in the fourth quarter 2014) and Italy (42.6%).