Bulgaria unemployment 13.1% in January 2014, EU 10.8% – Eurostat
Unemployment in Bulgaria in January 2014 was 13.1 per cent, up from 12.8 per cent in January 13, and higher than the current EU average of 10.8 per cent, according to figures released on February 18 by EU statistics office Eurostat.
In January 2014, according to Eurostat’s seasonally-adjusted figures, the number of unemployed people in Bulgaria was about 442 000. The same month a year earlier, the number was 431 000.
Youth unemployment in Bulgaria also worsened, from 27.8 per cent in January 2013 to 30 per cent in January 2014.
Eurostat said that in the euro zone, seasonally-adjusted unemployment was 12 per cent in January 2014, stable since October 2013. It was also 12 per cent in January 2013.
The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.8 per cent in January 2014, stable since October 2013. It was 11 per cent in January 2013.
Eurostat estimates that 26.231 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 19.175 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2014.
Compared with December 2013, the number of unemployed people increased by 17 000 in both the EU28 and the euro area.
Compared with January 2013, unemployment decreased by 449 000 in the EU28, and by 67 000 in the euro area.
Among EU countries, unemployment was lowest in Austria (4.9 per cent), Germany (five per cent) and Luxembourg (6.1 per cent), and highest in Greece (28 per cent in November 2013) and Spain (25.8 per cent).
Compared with a year ago, unemployment increased in 13 EU member states, fell in 13 and remained stable in Austria and Slovenia.
The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (14.4 per cent to 16.8 per cent), Greece (26.3 per cent to 28.0 per cent between November 2012 and November 2013), Croatia (17.4 per cent to 18.8 per cent), Italy (11.8 per cent to 12.9 per cent) and the Netherlands (6.0 per cent to 7.1 per cent). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (14.3 per cent to 11.5 per cent between the fourth quarters of 2012 and 2013), Portugal (17.6 per cent to 15.3 per cent), Hungary (11.1 per cent to 8.8 per cent between December 2012 and December 2013), Ireland (13.8 per cent to 11.9 per cent), and Lithuania (12.8 per cent to 11.3 per cent).
In January 2014, 5.556 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 3.539 million were in the euro area.
Compared with January 2013, youth unemployment decreased by 171 000 in the EU28 and by 87 000 in the euro area.
In January 2014, the youth unemployment rate was 23.4 per cent in the EU28 and 24 per cent in the euro area, compared with 23.7 per cent and 24.1 per cent, respectively, in January 2013.
In January 2014, the lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.6 per cent), Austria (10.5 per cent) and the Netherlands (11.1 per cent), and the highest in Greece (59.0 per cent in November 2013), Spain (54.6 per cent) and Croatia (49.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2013).
