EU unemployment rate down in June

By Gokhan Ergocun

ANKARA (AA) - The European Union's unemployment rate was 6.9 percent in June, down from 7.6 percent the same month last year, Eurostat said on Tuesday.

"This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since May 2008," it said.

The unemployment rate in the euro area (EA19) also fell to 8.3 percent, compared to 9 percent in June 2017. This is also the lowest level since December 2008.

The number of jobless people fell by nearly 1.66 million in the EU28 and 1.15 million in the EA19 in June from the same month last year.

The institute estimated that around 17.1 million men and women in the EU28 and around 13.6 million in the EA19 were unemployed as of June.

According to the data, the Czech Republic had the lowest unemployment rate in June with 2.4 percent. Germany followed with 3.4 percent.

Greece and Spain recorded the highest figures, with 20.2 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively, in June.

In the last decade, the highest annual unemployment rate in the EU was seen in 2013 (10.9 percent).

Youth unemployment rate -- under-25s -- fell in both the EU28 and EA19. The EU28 has 3.41 million young unemployed persons, of whom 2.4 million were in the EA19.

"In June 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 15.2 percent in the EU28 and 16.9 percent in the euro area, compared with 16.8 percent and 18.9 percent, respectively, in June 2017," Eurostat said.

The preliminary flash estimate for July 2018 showed euro area annual inflation at 2.1 percent, up from 2 percent in the previous month, Eurostat said.

Eurostat also announced that the GDP rose both in EU28 and EA19 by 2.2 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, year on year, in the second quarter of 2018.