The euro area (EA15) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.0% in December 2008, compared with 7.9% in November. It was 7.2% in December 2007. The EU27 unemployment rate was 7.4% in December 2008, compared with 7.3% in November. It was 6.8% in December 2007.

Eurostat estimates that 17.911 million men and women in the EU27, of which 12.472 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in December 2008. Compared with November 2008, the number of persons unemployed increased by 309 000 in the EU27 and by 230 000 in the euro area. Compared with December 2007, unemployment went up by 1 665 000 in the EU27 and by 1 397 000 in the euro area.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (2.7%) and Austria (3.9%), and the highest in Spain (14.4%) and Latvia (10.4%).

Compared with a year ago, nine Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate and fourteen an increase, while in four Member States it remained stable. The largest falls were observed in Poland (8.2% to 6.5%) and Slovakia (10.3% to 9.4%), and the highest increases in Spain (8.7% to 14.4%) and Estonia (4.1% to 9.2%).

The unemployment rate for males rose from 6.4% to 7.6% between December 2007 and December 2008 in the euro area and from 6.3% to 7.2% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 8.1% to 8.5% in the euro area and from 7.4% to 7.7% in the EU27.

In December 2008, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 16.4% in the euro area and 16.6% in the EU27. In December 2007 it was 14.5% and 14.7% respectively. The lowest rates were observed in the Netherlands (5.3%) and Austria (6.9%), and the highest in Spain (29.5%) and Hungary (22.5%).

In December 2008, the unemployment rate was 7.2% in the USA. In November it was 3.9% in Japan.