Latvia’s unemployment level was 8.5% in July. This is the eighth highest level among EU member states, according to data published by Eurostat.
According to this data, unemployment levels were higher in Spain (17.1%), Italy (11.3%), Cyprus (10.8%), Croatia (10.6%), France (9.8%), Portugal (9.1%) and Finland (8.8%).
The lowest unemployment levels were registered in the Czech Republic (2.9%), Germany (3.7%) and Malta (4.1%).
Unemployment in Lithuania was 7.6% in July.
Average unemployment in EU, according to seasonally adjusted data, was 7.7% in July, remaining unchanged in comparison with June. Unemployment in the EU was 8.5% in July 2016.
Average unemployment in Eurozone’s 19 member states was 9.1% in July (10% in July 2016).
Eurostat estimates show that there were 18,916,000 unemployed people in EU member states and 14,860,000 in Eurozone member states. Compared with June, the number of unemployed people has grown by 93,000 in EU and by 73,000 in Eurozone. Compared with June 2016, the number of unemployed people has declined by 1,928,000 in the EU and by 1,309,000 in Eurozone.
In an annual perspective, unemployment declined in all EU member states for which data was available in July. The largest unemployment decline among member states was noted in Croatia, where it declined from 13.2% to 10.6% and Spain, where declined was from 19.6% in 17.1%.
Data on unemployment for July is not available for Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Britain and Hungary.
According to State Employment Agency, the level of registered unemployment in Latvia declined by 0.1%, to 7.1% in July. (BNN/Business World Magazine)