EU ends 2018 with 6.6 pct unemployment rate

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - The European Union ended 2018 with an unemployment rate of 6.6 percent, the EU's statistical office reported on Thursday.

On a yearly basis, the unemployment rate in the EU fell 0.6 percentage points compared to 7.2 percent in December, 2017.

"Eurostat estimates that 16.3 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.9 million in the euro area, were unemployed in December 2018," statistical office said.

The eurozone/euro area or EA19 represents member states that use the single currency -- euro -- while the EU28 includes all member countries of the bloc.

Eurostat stated that the lowest rates were in Czech Republic with 2.1 percent and Germany with 3.3 percent, while the highest figures were in Greece with 18.6 percent -- October figures --, and Spain with 14.3 percent.

"Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all Member States except France where it remained stable," it said.

Official figures revealed that 3.36 million young persons -- under 25 -- were unemployed across the 28-member bloc, of whom 2.39 million were in the euro area.

"Compared with December 2017, youth unemployment decreased by 249,000 in the EU28 and by 141,000 in the euro area.

"In December 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 14.9 percent in the EU28 and 16.6 percent in the euro area, compared with 16.1 percent and 17.8 percent respectively in December 2017," Eurostat said.

The lowest youth unemployment rates were recorded in the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands, while the highest figures were observed in Greece, Spain and Italy.