With nearly 20 million people unemployed, the unemployment rate in the European Union reached 8% in February 2017, and 9.5% in the eurozone. It has been steadily decreasing since 2013. France, on the other hand, has an unemployment rate of 10%, making it one of the highest rates in the European Union.
The contrasts in unemployment across Europe are even more visible among young people, with disparities ranging from onefold to sevenfold between extremes.
According to Eurostat, 19.750 million people were unemployed in the European Union in February 2017 (8% of the workforce), including 15.439 million in the eurozone (9.5%).
Compared to February 2016, unemployment dropped by 1.852 million people in the EU28 and by 1.246 million in the eurozone. In September 2016, it fell below the symbolic threshold of 10% in the zone, the first time since April 2011.
However, in terms of employment, the contrasts in Europe are significant: a gap of 20 percentage points separates the extremes. While the Czech Republic has an unemployment rate of 3.4%, Germany 3.9%, the United Kingdom 4.6% (in December 2016), it reaches peaks in Greece (23.1%) and Spain (18%).
France ranks 6th among the countries most affected by unemployment (10%), tied with Portugal. Its unemployment rate has remained stable since June 2016.
Over the year, the unemployment rate in February 2017 decreased in twenty-six member states. The most significant declines were observed in Croatia (from 14.4% to 11.6%), Spain (from 20.5% to 18.0%), Portugal (from 12.2% to 10.0%) and Ireland (from 8.4% to 6.6%).
In two other member states, the unemployment rate increased during the same period: in Denmark (from 6.0% to 6.4%) and in Lithuania (from 8.0% to 8.3%). The peak was reached at the beginning of 2013, with a rate reaching 11% (12% for the eurozone). Since then, it has been steadily decreasing.
