The unemployment rate for the 25-member Europe still stood at 9% in August 2004, according to the latest survey of Eurostat (the statistical bureau of the European Commission). The figure the same as that for July does however register an improvement over that for the previous year, when the overall percentage of the Fifteen plus the ten countries of enlargement totalled 9.1%. The worst unemployment black spots continue to be Poland (18.7%), Slovakia (15.7%), Lithuania and Spain (11%). Luxembourg, Ireland, Cyprus, Austria and the UK with percentages comprised between 4.3% and 4.7% – are, by contrast, the countries with the lowest levels of unemployment. With the exception of Latvia, Malta, Czech Republic and Hungary, all the countries of enlargement have registered a drop in unemployment over the last twelve months. A matter for concern is the continuing high level of unemployment among youths below the age of 25, which now exceeds 17.5% in the Euro zone, and rises to 18.1% in the enlarged EU. In total, Eurostat has calculated that jobless European citizens amount to 19.3 million. Greece and Italy are the only two States that have not furnished official unemployment data since January 2004. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1331 N.ro relativo : 71 Data pubblicazione : 13/10/2004
