Unemployment is stable within the EU, slightly decreasing in the new member countries. The figures published by Eurostat today confirm 6.9% in the euro-zone, unchanged between August and the earlier July survey. In August 2006, however, it was 7.8%. Positive judgements come from the statistics experts of the Commission about the 27-member EU: "The unemployment rate was 6.7% in August this year, versus 6.8 in July". One year earlier, it was, again, 7.8%. Eurostat speaks of geographical imbalances: in Denmark and the Netherlands unemployed people account for 3.3% of the working population, while in Poland this figure reaches 9.1% and in Slovakia (the highest within the EU) 11.1%. "Twenty-four countries states the survey recorded a decrease in their unemployment rates in the last year and three countries recorded an increase. The most important decreases have taken place in Poland (from 13.3 to 9.1%) and Lithuania (from 5.8 to 4.1)". Conversely, the most substantial increase occurred in Portugal (from 7.5 to 8.3%). However, unemployment remains a phenomenon that mostly concerns women: female unemployment in the 27 EU member states is 7.6% versus 5.8 for male unemployment. In addition, figures for young people aged under 25 are high, as youth unemployment reaches 15.1%.
