The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.0% in August 2013, stable compared with July. The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.9%, also stable compared with July. In both zones, rates have risen compared with August 2012, when they were 11.5% and 10.6% respectively. These figures are published by
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In August 2013, 26.595 million men and women were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 19.178 million were in the euro area. Compared with July 2013, the number of persons unemployed remained nearly stable in both the EU28 and the euro area. Compared with August 2012, unemployment rose by 882 000 in the EU28 and by 895 000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9%), Germany (5.2%) and Luxembourg (5.8%), and the highest in Greece (27.9% in June 2013) and Spain (26.2%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in sixteen Member States, fell in eleven and remained stable in Poland. The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (12.3% to 16.9%) and Greece (24.6% to 27.9% between June 2012 and June 2013). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.6% to 11.4% between the second quarters of 2012 and 2013) and Estonia (10.1% to 7.9% between July 2012 and July 2013).

In August 2013, the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.3%, down from 7.4% in July 2013 and from 8.1% in August 2012.