The euro area (EA15) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.1% in January 2008, unchanged compared with December 2007. It was 7.7% in January 2007. The EU271 unemployment rate was 6.8% in January 2008, the same as in December 20073. It was 7.5% in January 2007.

In January 2008, the lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (2.9%) and Denmark (3.1% in December 2007), and the highest in Slovakia (10.4%).

Over the last year, 24 Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate and three an increase. The largest falls were observed in Poland (11.1% to 8.6%), Bulgaria (7.8% to 6.2%) and Latvia (6.6% to 5.0%), and the highest increase in Estonia (4.8% to 5.6%).

The unemployment rate for males fell from 6.8% to 6.4% between January 2007 and January 2008 in the euro area and from 6.9% to 6.3% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate declined from 8.8% to 7.9% in the euro area and from 8.2% to 7.4% in the EU27.

In January 2008, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 14.2% in the euro area and 14.7% in the EU27. In January 2007 it was 15.2% and 16.0% respectively. The lowest rates for under-25s were observed in the Netherlands (5.5%) and Slovenia (7.9% in the fourth quarter 2007), and the highest in Greece (22.6% in the third quarter 2007) and Romania (21.2% in the third quarter 2007).

Eurostat estimates that 16.1 million men and women in the EU27, of which 10.9 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2008. In January 2007, 17.7 million men and women in the EU27, of which 11.7 million were in the euro area, were unemployed.

In January 2008, the unemployment rate was 4.9% in the USA. In December 2007, the rate was 3.8% in Japan and 2.4% in Norway.