Compared with the same date for November 2007, thirteen Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate, and fourteen an increase. The largest falls were observed in Poland (8.5% to 6.5%) and Slovakia (10.5% to 9.1%), and the highest increases in Spain (8.6% to 13.4%) and Estonia (4.1% to 8.3%)

According to the figures published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Eurostat, related to the month of November 2008, the EU15 seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.8% in November 2008, compared with 7.7% in October. As regards to the figures one year ago, unemployment rate was 7.2% in November 2007. The EU27 unemployment rate was 7.2% in November 2008, compared with 7.1% in October, and 6.9% in November 2007.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (2.7%), Austria (3.8%) and Cyprus (3.9%), and the highest in Spain (13.4%), Slovakia (9.1%) and Latvia (9.0%).

Eurostat estimates that 17.466 million men and women in the EU27, of which 12.180 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in November 2008. Compared with October 2008, the number of persons unemployed increased by 274.000 in the EU27 and by 202.000 in the euro area. Compared with November 2007, unemployment went up by 1.134.000 in the EU27 and by 1.059.000 in the euro area.

In November 2008, the unemployment rate was 6.7% in the USA and 3.9% in Japan.

Eurostat's Guidelines on EU and Eurozone enlargements

As part of Eurostat's guidelines for the dissemination of data when the EU or euro area is enlarged, the aggregate data series commented on refer to the official composition of the euro area in the most recent month for which data are available. Thus News Releases with data for months up to December 2008 will comment on EA15 series, while Releases with data for January 2009 onwards will comment on EA16 series, as after january, 1st, 2009, the Euro area also includes Slovakia.