The euro area unemployment rate was 11.4% in August 2012, stable compared with July. The EU unemployment rate was 10.5% in the same month, also stable compared with July. However, in both zones, rates have risen compared with August 2011. Once more, the lowest unemployment rate were recorded in Austria (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (25.1%) and Greece (24.4% in June 2012).

The figures on seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates in the EU and in the euro area for August 2012 published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, show that the unemployment rates remained stable compared with July 2012. The euro area unemployment rate was 11.4% in August 2012, stable compared with July. The EU unemployment rate was 10.5% in August 2012, also stable compared with July. In both zones, rates have risen compared with August 2011, when they were 10.2% and 9.7% respectively. In August 2012, the unemployment rate was 8.1% in the USA and 4.1% in Japan.

With regard to the data for member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.5%), Luxembourg (5.2%), the Netherlands (5.3%) and Germany (5.5%), and the highest in Spain (25.1%) and Greece (24.4% in June 2012). Compared with a year ago, the largest falls were observed in Estonia (13.2% to 10.1% between the second quarters of 2011 and 2012), Lithuania (15.0% to 12.9%) and Latvia (17.0% to 15.9% between the second quarters of 2011 and 2012). The highest increases were registered in Greece (17.2% to 24.4% between June 2011 and June 2012), Cyprus (8.0% to 11.7%), Portugal (12.7% to 15.9%) and Spain (22.0% to 25.1%).

Between August 2011 and August 2012, the unemployment rate for males increased from 9.9% to 11.3% in the euro area and from 9.6% to 10.5% in the EU. The female unemployment rate rose from 10.5% to 11.6% in the euro area and from 9.8% to 10.6% in the EU. In August 2012, the youth unemployment rate was 22.7% in the EU and 22.8% in the euro area, compared with 21.5% and 20.7% respectively in August 2011. In August 2012 the lowest rates were observed in Germany (8.1%), the Netherlands (9.4%) and Austria (9.7%), and the highest in Greece (55.4% in June 2012) and Spain (52.9%).