Lithuania’s unemployment rate at 11.3 percent

The European Union (EU) unemployment rate was 10.1 percent in September 2014, also stable compared with August 2014 and down from 10.8 percent in September 2013. Eurostat estimates that 24.512 million men and women in the EU, of whom 18.347 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2014. Compared with August 2014, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 108,000 in the EU and by 19,000 in the euro area. Compared with September 2013, unemployment fell by 1.818 million in the EU and by 826,000 in the euro area.

In Lithuania seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in September was 11.3 percent. There were 167,000 unemployed people.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Germany (5.0 percent) and Austria (5.1 percent), and the highest in Greece (26.4 percent in July 2014) and Spain (24.0 percent). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in twenty-one Member States, increased in six and remained stable in Belgium. The largest decreases were registered in Hungary (10.0 percent to 7.6 percent between August 2013 and August 2014), Spain (26.1 pct to 24.0 pct) and Portugal (15.7 pct to 13.6 pct), and the highest increases were registered in Finland (8.2 pct to 8.7 pct) and France (10.3 pct to 10.5 pct). In September 2014, the unemployment rate in the United States was 5.9 percent, down from 6.1 percent in August 2014, and from 7.2 percent in September 2013.

In September 2014, 4.988 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 3.340 million were in the euro area. Compared with September 2013, youth unemployment decreased by 595,000 in the EU and by 213,000 in the euro area. In September 2014, the youth unemployment rate5 was 21.6 percent in the EU and 23.3 percent in the euro area, compared with 23.5 percent and 24.0 percent respectively in September 2013. In September 2014, the lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.6 percent), Austria (9.1 pct) and the Netherlands (9.8 pct), and the highest in Spain (53.7 pct), Greece (50.7 pct in July 2014), Italy (42.9 pct) and Croatia (41.8 pct in the third quarter 2014).