According to the data released by Eurostat the Euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate amounted to 10.1% in August 2010, remaining stable compared with July, although higher that the 9.7% registered in August 2009. In the whole European Union unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010, also unchanged compared with July, and a higher than 9.2% in August 2009.

The European Statistical Office (Eurostat) estimates that 23.066 million men and women in the European Union, of whom 15.869 million were in the Euro area, were unemployed in August 2010, which compared to July shows a decrease in the number of persons unemployed, accounting for 68.000 in the Union and by 20.000 in the Euro area. Yearly charts show that compared with August 2009, unemployment rose by 894.000 people in all Member states and by 569.000 in the Euro area.

Lowest unemployment rates in Austria, highest in Spain

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.3%) and the Netherlands (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (20.5%), Latvia (19.5% in the second quarter of 2010), Estonia (18.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Lithuania (18.2% in the second quarter of 2010), similar unemployment ranks than those released by Eurostar on October 2009.

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in seven Member States, remained stable in one and increased in nineteen. The largest falls were observed in Malta (7.2% to 6.2%), Austria (5.2% to 4.3%) and Germany (7.6% to 6.8%). The highest increases were registered in Estonia (13.5% to 18.6% between the second quarters of 2009 and 2010), Lithuania (13.5% to 18.2% between the second quarters of 2009 and 2010) and Bulgaria (7.0% to 10.1%).

Between August 2009 and August 2010, the unemployment rate for males rose from 9.5% to 9.9% in the Euro area and from 9.3% to 9.6% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 9.9% to 10.3% in the Euro area and from 9.1% to 9.6% in the EU27.

In August 2010, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 19.8% in the Euro area and 20.2% in the EU27. In both the Euro area and the EU27 the rate fell for the second consecutive month. In August 2009 it was 20.1% and 20.4% respectively. The lowest rates were observed in Austria (8.5%), Germany and the Netherlands (both 8.8%), and the highest rates in Spain (41.6%), Lithuania (37.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Estonia (37.2% in the second quarter of 2010).

In the international scope EU unemployment rate remains higher that data registered in the USA, where unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010, and Japan with 5.2% in July 2010.