Unemployment in EU 10.2% in June 2014, 11.6% in Bulgaria
Unemployment in the 28-member European Union was 10.2 per cent in June 2014, down from 10.3 per cent in May, according to seasonally-adjusted figures released by EU statistics office Eurostat on July 31.
In the 18-country euro zone, seasonally-adjusted unemployment was 11.5 per cent in June 2014, down from 11.6 per cent in May 2014 and from 12 per cent in June 2013, Eurostat said.
Across the EU, unemployment in June 2014 was the lowest since March 2012, and in the euro zone, the lowest since September 2012.
In Bulgaria, unemployment in June 2014 was 11.6 per cent, according to Eurostat.
Eurostat estimated that 25.005 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 18.412 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in June 2014. Compared with May 2014, the number of unemployed people decreased by 198 000 in the EU28 and by 152 000 in the euro area.
Compared with June 2013, unemployment fell by 1.537 million in the EU28 and by 783 000 in the euro area.
Among EU member countries, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (5.0 per cent), Germany (5.1 per cent) and Malta (5.6 per cent), and the highest in Greece (27.3 per cent in April 2014) and Spain (24.5 per cent).
Compared with a year ago, unemployment fell in 21 EU countries, increased in five and remained stable in the Netherlands and Sweden.
The largest decreases were registered in Portugal (16.6 per cent to 14.1 per cent), Hungary (10.4 per cent to 8.1 per cent between May 2013 and May 2014), Ireland (13.6 per cent to 11.8 per cent), and Spain (26.2 per cent to 24.5 per cent), and the highest increases in Finland (8.1 per cent to 8.8 per cent), Luxembourg (5.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent) and Austria (4.7 per cent to five per cent).
In June 2014, 5.129 million young people (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 3.319 million were in the euro area.
Compared with June 2013, youth unemployment decreased by 506 000 in the EU28 and by 244 000 in the euro area.
In June 2014, the youth unemployment rate was 22 per cent in the EU28 and 23.1 per cent in the euro area, compared with 23.6 per cent and 23.9 per cent respectively in June 2013.
In June 2014, the lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.8 per cent), Austria (9.0 per cent) and the Netherlands (10.5 per cent), and the highest in Greece (56.3 per cent in April 2014), Spain (53.5 per cent) and Italy (43.7 per cent).
In Bulgaria in June 2014, youth unemployment was 23.2 per cent, according to Eurostat.
(Illustration: Sergio Roberto Bichara/sxc.hu)
