The euro area unemployment rate was 11.1% and the EU was 10.3% in May 2012. In both cases, it represents a slight increase compared with April 2011, according to Eurostat. The lowest unemployment rate was once again registered in Austria (4.1%), and the highest in Spain (24.6%).

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published its figures for the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the EU and in the euro area. The figures show that the euro area unemployment rate was 11.1% in May 2012, compared with 11.0% in April. It was 10.0% in May 2011. The EU unemployment rate was 10.3% in May 2012, compared with 10.2% in April. It was 9.5% in May 2011. The euro area unemployment rate remained stable in April compared with March.

The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.1%), the Netherlands (5.1%), Luxembourg (5.4%) and Germany (5.6%), and the highest in Spain (24.6%) and Greece (21.9% in March 2012), among the Member States. Compared with a year ago, the largest falls were observed in Estonia (13.6% to 10.9% between the first quarters of 2011 and 2012), Lithuania (15.7% to 13.7%) and Latvia (17.1% to 15.3% between the first quarters of 2011 and 2012). The highest increases were registered in Greece (15.7% to 21.9% between March 2011 and March 2012), Spain (20.9% to 24.6%) and Cyprus (7.5% to 10.8%).

With regard to the youth unemployment, in May 2012, the youth unemployment rate was 22.7% in the EU and 22.6% in the euro area. In May 2011 it was 21.0% and 20.5% respectively. The lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.9%), Austria (8.3%) and the Netherlands (9.2%), and the highest in Greece (52.1% in March 2012) and Spain (52.1%).