The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.1% in October 2013, down from 12.2% in September. The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.9%, stable compared with September. In both zones, rates have risen compared with October 2012, when they were 11.7% and 10.7% respectively. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In October 2013, 26.654 million men and women were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 19.298 million were in the euro area. Compared with September 2013, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 75 000 in the EU28 and by 61 000 in the euro area. Compared with October 2012, unemployment rose by 512 000 in the EU28 and by 615 000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.8%), Germany (5.2%) and Luxembourg (5.9%), and the highest in Greece (27.3% in August 2013) and Spain (26.7%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in half of the Member States and fell in half. The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (13.2% to 17.0%), Greece (25.5% to 27.3% between August 2012 and August 2013) and the Netherlands (5.5% to 7.0%). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (14.0% to 11.9% between the third quarters of 2012 and 2013), Ireland (14.5% to 12.6%) and Lithuania (13.0% to 11.1%).

In October 2013, the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.3%, up from 7.2% in September 2013 and down from 7.9% in October 2012.