According to data, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, the euro area seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.4% in June 2009 as compared with 9.3% in May 2009. It was 7.5% in June 2008. The EU 27 unemployment rate was 8.9% in June 2009 as compared with 8.8% in May 2009 and it was 6.9% in June 2008. For the euro area this is the highest rate since June 1999 and for the EU27 since June 2005.

Eurostat estimates that 21.526 million men and women in the EU 27, of which 14.896 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in June 2009. Compared with May, the number of persons unemployed increased by 246,000 in the EU27 and by 158,000 in the euro area. Compared with June 2008, unemployment went up by 5.024 million in the EU 27 and by 3.170 million in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (3.3%) and Austria (4.4%), and the highest rates in Spain (18.1%), Latvia (17.2%) and Estonia (17.0%). Compared with a year ago, all member states recorded an increase in their unemployment rate. The smallest increases were observed in Germany (7.3% to 7.7%), Romania (5.7% to 6.2% between the first quarters of 2008 and 2009) and the Netherlands (2.7% to 3.3%). The highest increases were registered in Estonia (4.6% to 17.0%), Latvia (6.4% to 17.2%) and Lithuania (5.1% to 15.8%).

Between June 2008 and June 2009, the unemployment rate for males rose from 6.8% to 9.2% in the euro area and from 6.5% to 9.0% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 8.3% to 9.7% in the euro area and from 7.4% to 8.9% in the EU 27.

In June 2009, the youth unemployment rate (under 25 years) was 19.5% in the euro area and 19.6% in the EU 27. In June 2008, it was 15.2% and 15.1% respectively. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (6.3%), and the highest rates in Spain (36.5%) and Lithuania (31.0% in the second quarter of 2009).

(Sourced from Eurostat Press Office)