According to recent data published by the Statistical Office of the EU, Eurostat, in January 2009 unemployment in the euro zone rose to 8.2% from 8.1% in December 2008, while in the Twenty-seven were increased from 7.5% to 7.6%. Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were observed in the Netherlands (2.8%) and Austria (4%) and highest in Spain (14.8%) followed by Latvia (12.3%).

According to Eurostat, the statistical arm of the European Commission, during the past 12 months, six Member States recorded a decline in their unemployment rates, 19 increased and two remained stable. The largest decreases were observed in Poland (from 8% to 6.7%) and Bulgaria (from 6.1% to 5.3%), whereas increases were strongest in Latvia (6.2% to 12.3%) and Spain (9% to 14.8%).

By gender, between January 2008 and January 2009, unemployment among men increased from 6.5% to 7.9% in the Eurozone and from 6.3% to 7.5% in all the countries of the EU, while female unemployment rose from 8.2% to 8.6% and 7.4% to 7.8%, respectively.

Among citizens under 25 years, in 2009 the percentage of unemployed amounted to 16.9% in the Euro area and 17% in the EU. The lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (5.5%) and Austria (7.9%). On the opposite side are Spain (30.4%) and Hungary and Sweden with 22.9% each.

According to estimates by Eurostat, in January 2009 there were 18.412 million people unemployed in the EU, of which 13.036 million were in the Euro area. In relation to December 2008, the number of unemployed rose by 386,000 in the Member States and 256,000 in the Eurozone.