Euro area1 seasonally-adjusted unemployment2 stood at 7.9 percent in May 2006, compared to 8.0 percent in April3. It was 8.7 percent in May 2005. The EU254 unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in May 2006, unchanged compared to April3. It was 8.8 percent in May 2005.
In May 2006, the lowest rates were registered in Denmark and the Netherlands (both 3.9 percent), Ireland (4.3 percent), and Luxembourg (4.7 percent). Unemployment rates were highest in Poland (16.4 percent), Slovakia (15.5 percent), Greece (9.6 percent in the fourth quarter 2005), France (8.8 percent) and Belgium (8.4 percent).
Amongst the Member States, seventeen recorded a decrease in their unemployment rate over a year and seven reported an increase. The largest relative falls were observed in Estonia (8.2 percent to 4.9 percent), Lithuania (8.7 percent to 5.6 percent), Denmark (5.2 percent to 3.9 percent), and the Netherlands (4.8 percent to 3.9 percent).
The highest relative increases were registered in Malta (7.2 percent to 8.3 percent), the United Kingdom (4.6 percent in March 2005 to 5.2 percent in March 2006), Cyprus (5.1 percent in March 2005 to 5.5 percent in March 2006), Slovenia (6.2 percent to 6.5 percent), and Luxembourg (4.5 percent to 4.7 percent).
The unemployment rate for males fell from 7.5 percent to 6.9 percent in the euro area between May 2005 and May 2006 and from 8.0 percent to 7.4 percent in the EU25. The female unemployment rate declined from 10.1 percent to 9.2 percent in the euro area and from 9.9 percent to 9.2 percent in the EU25.