The euro area unemployment rate remains stable and stood at 7.5% in September 2008,according to data published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.

The euro area unemployment rate was the same in August and was 7.3% in September 2007.

The European Union (EU) unemployment rate was 7.0% in September 2008, compared with 6.9% in August. It was 7.0% in September 2007.

Eurostat estimates that 16.710 million men and women in the EU, of which 11.691 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2008. Compared with August 2008, the number of persons unemployed increased by 32 000 in the EU and by 52 000 in the euro area. Compared with September 2007, unemployment went up by 132 000 in the EU27 and by 507 000 in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (2.5%) and Denmark (2.9%). Bulgaria ranks 10th with a 5,6% unemployment rate.

The highest rates were registered in Spain (11.9%) and Slovakia (10.0%).

Compared with a year ago, seventeen Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate, nine an increase and one remained stable. The largest falls were observed in Poland (9.0% to 6.5%) and Austria (4.5% to 3.2%), and the highest increases in Spain (8.3% to 11.9%) and Ireland (4.6% to 6.6%).

The unemployment rate was 6.1% in the USA in September 2008 and 4.2% in Japan in August 2008.

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