In May 2007, the lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (3.2%), Denmark (3.3%), Ireland (4.1%) and Cyprus (4.2%). Unemployment rates were highest in Slovakia (10.8%) and Poland (10.5%).
Twenty-two Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate over a year, four an increase while the unemployment rate was stable in Romania. The largest relative falls were observed in Poland (14.2% to 10.5%), Denmark (4.2% to 3.3%) and Bulgaria (9.2% to 7.2%). The highest relative increases were registered in Hungary (7.3% to 7.7%) and Luxembourg (4.6% to 4.8%).
The unemployment rate for males fell from 6.8% to 5.9% between May 2006 and May 2007 in the euro area and from 7.3% to 6.2% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate declined from 9.3% to 8.4% in the euro area and from 8.9% to 8.0% in the EU27.
In May 2007, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 15.3% in the euro area and 15.9% in the EU27. In May 2006 it was 16.6% and 17.5% respectively. The lowest rates for under-25s were observed in the Netherlands (5.7%), Denmark (6.4%) and Ireland (7.7%); the highest in Greece (24.6% in the first quarter 2007), Poland (22.1%), France and Romania (both 21.9%).
Eurostat estimates that 16.4 million men and women in the EU27, of which 10.4 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in May 2007. In May 2006, 18.6 million men and women in the EU27, of which 11.8 million were in the euro area, were unemployed.
In May 2007, the US unemployment rate was 4.5% and the Japanese rate was 3.8%.
