The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.9% in March 2009, compared with 8.7% in February. It was 7.2% in March 2008. The EU27 unemployment rate was 8.3% in March 2009, compared with 8.1% in February3. It was 6.7% in March 2008.

Eurostat estimates that 20.154 million men and women in the EU27, of which 14.158 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in March 2009. Compared with February, the number of persons unemployed increased by 626 000 in the EU27 and by 419 000 in the euro area. Compared with March 2008, unemployment went up by 4.061 million in the EU27 and by 2.816 million in the euro area.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the Netherlands (2.8%), and the highest rates in Spain (17.4%), Latvia (16.1%) and Lithuania (15.5%).

Compared with a year ago, three Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate, twenty-three an increase and the rate remained stable in the Netherlands. The falls were observed in Romania (6.1% to 5.8% between the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2008), Bulgaria (6.1% to 5.9%) and Greece (7.9% to 7.8% between the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2008). The highest increases were registered in Lithuania (4.3% to 15.5%), Latvia (6.1% to 16.1%) and Spain (9.5% to 17.4%).

The unemployment rate for males rose from 6.5% to 8.6% between March 2008 and March 2009 in the euro area and from 6.2% to 8.3% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 8.2% to 9.2% in the euro area and from 7.3% to 8.3% in the EU27.

In March 2009, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 18.1% in the euro area and 18.3% in the EU27. In March 2008 it was 14.5% and 14.6% respectively. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (5.7%), and the highest rates in Spain (35.4%) and Latvia (29.3% in the first quarter of 2009).

In March 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.5% in the USA. In Japan it was 4.4% in February 2009.