The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.4 % in January 2020, stable compared with December 2019 and down from 7.8 % in January 2019. The EU-27 unemployment rate was 6.6 % in January 2020, stable compared with December 2019 and down from 6.9 % in January 2019.
Unemployment in the Member States
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in January 2020 were recorded in Czechia (2.0 %), Poland (2.9 %) and the Netherlands (3.0 %). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (16.5 % in November 2019) and Spain (13.7 %).
Figure 2: Unemployment rates, seasonally adjusted, January 2020, %
Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in 19 Member States, remained stable in Germany and Romania, while it increased in Estonia (from 4.3 % to 4.5 % between December 2018 and December 2019), Slovenia (from 4.5 % to 4.7 %), Portugal (from 6.6 % to 6.9 %), Lithuania (from 6.1 % to 6.6 %), Luxembourg (from 5.2 % to 5.7 %) and Sweden (from 6.5 % to 7.0 %). The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 18.6 % to 16.5 % between November 2018 and November 2019), Cyprus (from 7.6 % to 6.0 %), and Croatia (from 7.2 % to 6.1 %).
In January 2020, the unemployment rate in the United States was 3.6 %, up from 3.5 % in December 2019 and down from 4.0 % in January 2019.
Figure 3: Unemployment rates EU-27, EA-19, US and Japan, seasonally adjusted, January 2000 – January 2020(%)
Source: Eurostat (une_rt_m)
