Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union published the latest data with regard unemployment in the EU. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.5% in July 2011, unchanged compared with June. It was 9.7% in July 2010. The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.0% in July 2011, unchanged compared with June and the same month in 2010 it was 10.2%.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, 22.711 million men and women in the EU were unemployed in July 2011. Compared with June 2011, the number of persons unemployed increased. However, unemployment rate compared with July 2010 decreased by 451,000 in the EU27 and by 247,000 in the euro area.

With regard to the unemployment rates by Member States, one more time Austria registered the lowest unemployment rates (3.7%) and Spain, the highest rates (21.2%). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in sixteen Member States and increased in eleven. The largest falls were observed in Estonia (17.9% to 12.8% between the second quarters of 2010 and 2011), Latvia (19.9% to 16.2% between the first quarters of 2010 and 2011) and Lithuania (18.2% to 15.6% between the second quarters of 2010 and 2011). The highest increases were registered in Greece (11.0% to 15.0% between the first quarters of 2010 and 2011), Bulgaria (10.0% to 11.5%) and Slovenia (7.2% to 8.4%).

Moreover, 5.115 million young persons (under-25s) were unemployed in the EU in July. Compared with July 2010, youth unemployment decreased. In July 2011, the youth unemployment rate was 20.7% in the EU and 20.5% in the euro area. One month else, the highest rates were registered in Spain (46.2%), followed by Greece (38.5% in the first quarter of 2011), Lithuania (33.1% in the second quarter of 2011) and Slovakia (32.9%). The lowest rates were observed in the Netherlands (7.5%), Austria (7.8%) and Germany (9.5%).