Bulgaria had among largest decreases in unemployment in EU – Eurostat

Bulgaria saw among the largest decreases in unemployment in the European Union, with joblessness falling from 10.6 per cent in November 2014 to 8.8 per cent in November 2015, according to figures announced by EU statistics agency Eurostat on January 7 2016.

In November 2015, there were about 293 000 unemployed people in Bulgaria, down from 354 000 in November 2014, according to Eurostat.

Youth unemployment in Bulgaria – meaning, of under-25s – decreased from 22.8 per cent in November 2014 to 20.7 per cent in November 2015. This was a decrease from about 40 000 unemployed under-25s in Bulgaria to an estimated 37 000.

In the EU, youth unemployment decreased from 21.5 per cent in November 2014 to 20 per cent in November 2015.

Eurostat said that the euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.5 per cent in November 2015, down from 10.6 per cent in October 2015, and from 11.5 per cent in November 2014. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro zone since October 2011.

The EU28 unemployment rate was 9.1 per cent in November 2015, down from 9.2 per cent in October 2015, and from 10 per cent in November 2014. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since July 2009.

Eurostat estimated that 22.159 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 16.924 million were in the euro zone, were unemployed in November 2015.

Compared with October 2015, the number of unemployed people decreased by 179 000 in the EU28 and by 130 000 in the euro area. Compared with November 2014, unemployment fell by 2.146 million in the EU28 and by 1.573 million in the euro zone.

Among EU countries, the lowest unemployment rates in November 2015 were recorded in Germany (4.5 per cent), the Czech Republic (4.6 per cent) and Malta (5.1 per cent), and the highest in Greece (24.6 per cent in September 2015) and Spain (21.4 per cent).

Compared with a year ago, in November 2015 unemployment fell in 25 EU countries, remained stable in Romania and increased in Austria (from 5.6 per cent to 5.8 per cent) and Finland (from nine per cent to 9.4 per cent). The largest decreases were registered in Spain (from 23.7 per cent to 21.4 per cent), Bulgaria (from 10.6 per cent to 8.8 per cent) and Italy (from 13.1 per cent to 11.3 per cent), Eurostat said.

(Photo: Mark Puplava/freeimages.com)

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