The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.9% in January 2010, the same as in December 2009. It was 8.5% in January 2009. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.5% in January 2010, unchanged compared with December 2009. It was 8.0% in January 2009.

Eurostat estimates that 22.979 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 15.683 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2010. Compared with December 2009, the number of persons unemployed increased by 136 000 in the EU27 and by 38 000 in the euro area. Compared with January 2009, unemployment went up by 3.802 million in the EU27 and by 2.204 million in the euro area.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (4.2%) and Austria (5.3%), and the highest rates in Latvia (22.9%) and Spain (18.8%).

Compared with a year ago, all Member States recorded an increase in their unemployment rate. The smallest increases were observed in Germany (7.2% to 7.5%), Luxembourg (5.4% to 5.9%) and Belgium (7.5% to 8.0%). The highest increases were registered in Latvia (12.3% to 22.9%), Lithuania (6.4% to 14.6% between the third quarters of 2008 and 2009) and Estonia (7.6% to 15.5% between the fourth quarters of 2008 and 2009).

Between January 2009 and January 2010, the unemployment rate for males rose from 8.2% to 9.9% in the euro area and from 7.8% to 9.7% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 9.0% to 10.0% in the euro area and from 8.1% to 9.3% in the EU27.

In January 2010, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 20.2% in the euro area and 20.9% in the EU27. In January 2009 it was 17.8% and 17.7% respectively. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (8.1%), and the highest rates in Latvia (43.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009) and Spain (39.6%).

In the USA, the unemployment rate was 9.7% in January 2010. In Japan it was 5.1% in December 2009.