Cyprus unemployment 5th lowest in EU

Cyprus had the fifth-lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the EU25 in April, at 4.8%, compared with 8.9% in the EU25.

The EU 25 unemployment rate was unchanged from March, while the eurozone unemployment rate was also 8.9%.

The lowest rates were registered in Ireland (4.2%), the United Kingdom (4.5% in February), Luxembourg and Austria (both 4.6%) and Cyprus (4.8%).

Unemployment rates were highest in Poland (17.9%), Slovakia (15.6%), Greece (10.2% in December 2004), Germany and Spain (both 10.0%). France’s unemployment rate was 9.8%.

Amongst the Member States, fourteen recorded a decrease in their unemployment rate over a year, two remained stable and nine reported an increase. The largest relative decreases were observed in Lithuania (11.3% to 8.5%), Estonia (9.7% to 7.9%), Slovakia (18.7% to 15.6%) and Denmark (5.5% to 4.9%), while Portugal (6.5% to 7.2%).

Luxembourg (4.2% to 4.6%) and the Netherlands (4.6% to 5.0%) registered the highest relative increases.

In April 2005 compared to April 2004, the unemployment rate for males rose from 7.5% to 7.7% in the euro-zone and decreased from 8.1% to 8.0% in the EU25.

The female unemployment rate fell from 10.6% to 10.5% in the euro-zone and from 10.2% to 10.1% in the EU25.

In April 2005, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 18.9% in the euro-zone and 19.0% in the EU25. In April 2004 it was 18.4% and 19.1% respectively. The lowest rates for under-25s were observed in Denmark (7. 2%), Ireland (7.9%) and the Netherlands (9.2%) and the highest in Poland (36.1%), Slovakia (27.1%), Greece (26.2% in December 2004) and Italy (24.0% in December 2004).

Eurostat estimates that, in April 2005, 13.0 million men and women were unemployed in the euro-zone and 19.3 million in the EU25. These are seasonally adjusted figures in line with ILO criteria.

In April 2005, the US unemployment rate was 5.2% and the Japanese rate was 4.4%.