The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.1% in March 2013, up from 12.0% in February. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.9%, stable compared with February.

In both zones, rates have risen markedly compared with March 2012, when they were 11.0% and 10.3% respectively.

Eurostat estimates that 26.521 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 19.211 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in March 2013. Compared with February 2013, the number of persons unemployed increased by 69 000 in the EU27 and by 62 000 in the euro area. Compared with March 2012, unemployment rose by 1.814 million in the EU27 and by 1.723 million in the euro area.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.7%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (27.2% in January), Spain (26.7%) and Portugal (17.5%). Malta stood at 6.5%.

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in nineteen Member States and fell in eight.

The highest increases were registered in Greece (21.5% to 27.2% between January 2012 and January 2013), Cyprus (10.7% to 14.2%), Spain (24.1% to 26.7%) and Portugal (15.1% to 17.5%). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.6% to 14.3% between the fourth quarters of 2011 and 2012), Estonia (10.6% to 9.4% between February 2012 and February 2013) and Ireland (15.0% to 14.1%). Malta went from 6.3% to 6.5%.

Between March 2012 and March 2013, the unemployment rate for males increased from 10.8% to 11.9% in the euro area and from 10.2% to 10.9% in the EU27. Malta stood at 6.3%. The female unemployment rate rose from 11.3% to 12.2% in the euro area and from 10.4% to 11.0% in the EU27. Malta stood at 6.9%.

In March 2013, 5.690 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU27, of whom 3.599 million were in the euro area. Compared with March 2012, youth unemployment rose by 177 000 in the EU27 and by 184 000 in the euro area.

The youth unemployment rate was 23.5% in the EU27 and 24.0% in the euro area, compared with 22.6% and 22.5% respectively in March 2012. In March 2013, the lowest rates were observed in Germany and Austria (both 7.6%) and the Netherlands (10.5%), and the highest in Greece (59.1% in January 2013), Spain (55.9%), Italy (38.4%) and Portugal (38.3%). Malta stood at 14.7%.

The unemployment rate in the USA was 7.6% in March 2013. In Japan it was 4.3% in February 2013.

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

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