Euro area unemployment at 7.5% (last figures by Eurostat)

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.5% in November 2019, stable compared with October 2019 and down from 7.9% in November 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since July 2008.

The EU28 unemployment rate was 6.3% in November 2019, stable compared with October 2019 and down from 6.6% in November 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since the start of the EU monthly unemployment series in January 2000. These figures have been published today, 9 Januray, by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat estimates that 15.582 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.315 million in the euro area, were unemployed in November 2019. Compared with October 2019, the number of persons unemployed increased by 34 000 in the EU28 and decreased by 10 000 in the euro area.

Compared with November 2018, unemployment fell by 768 000 in the EU28 and by 624 000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in November 2019 were recorded in Czechia (2.2%),

Germany (3.1%) and Poland (3.2%).

The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (16.8% in September 2019) and Spain (14.1%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in 20 Member States, remained stable in the Netherlands and Portugal, while it increased in Luxembourg (from 5.4% to 5.5%), Slovenia (from 4.4% to 4.6%), Czechia (from 2.0% to 2.2%), Cyprus (from 7.5% to 7.7%), Sweden (from 6.5% to 6.9%) and Lithuania (from 5.8% to 6.4%).

The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 18.8% to 16.8% between September 2018 and September 2019), Bulgaria (from 4.8% to 3.7%), Estonia (from 5.3% to 4.2% between October 2018 and October 2019) and Croatia (from 7.5% to 6.5%).

In November 2019, the unemployment rate in the United States was 3.5%, down from 3.6% in October 2019 and from 3.7% in November 2018.