These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.3%) and the Netherlands (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (20.5%), Latvia (19.5% in the second quarter of 2010), Estonia (18.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Lithuania (18.2% in the second quarter of 2010).
Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in seven Member States, remained stable in one and increased in nineteen. The largest falls were observed in Malta (7.2% to 6.2%), Austria (5.2% to 4.3%) and Germany (7.6% to 6.8%). The highest increases were registered in Estonia (13.5% to 18.6% between the second quarters of 2009 and 2010), Lithuania (13.5% to 18.2% between the second quarters of 2009 and 2010) and Bulgaria (7.0% to 10.1%).
Between August 2009 and August 2010, the unemployment rate for males rose from 9.5% to 9.9% in the euro area and from 9.3% to 9.6% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 9.9% to 10.3% in the euro area and from 9.1% to 9.6% in the EU27.
In August 2010, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 19.8% in the euro area and 20.2% in the EU27. In both the euro area and the EU27 the rate fell for the second consecutive month. In August 2009 it was 20.1% and 20.4% respectively. The lowest rates were observed in Austria (8.5%), Germany and the Netherlands (both 8.8%), and the highest rates in Spain (41.6%), Lithuania (37.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Estonia (37.2% in the second quarter of 2010).
In the USA, the unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010. In Japan it was 5.2% in July 2010.
