The figures published by Eurostat show that the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.3% in July 2012, stable compared with June. Also it was stable the EU unemployment rate, at 10.4% in July 2012. Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg, and the highest in Spain and Greece.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published the figures on seasonally-adjusted unemployment rates in the EU and in the euro area for July 2012. Compared with June, the euro area unemployment rate was 11.3% in July 2012. It was 10.1% in July 2011. The EU unemployment rate was 10.4% in July 2012, also stable compared with June. It was 9.6% in July 2011. In May compared with April 2012, the unemployment rate experienced a slight increase in both, in the EU and in the euro area.

With regard to the data registered by Member States, in July 2012 the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.5%), the Netherlands (5.3%), Germany and Luxembourg (both 5.5%), and the highest in Spain (25.1%) and Greece (23.1% in May 2012). Compared with a year ago, the largest falls of the unemployment rates were observed in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. The highest increases were registered in Greece, Spain and Cyprus.

For the same month, 5.468 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 3.388 million were in the euro area. In July 2012, the youth unemployment rate was 22.5% in the EU and 22.6% in the euro area. In July 2011, it was 21.3% and 20.7% respectively. In July 2012 the lowest rates were observed in Germany (8.0%), Austria (8.9%) and the Netherlands (9.2%), and the highest in Greece (53.8% in May 2012) and Spain (52.9%).