The EU28 unemployment rate in February 2018 was down month-on-month and year-on-year, in line with a similar trend in Croatia, putting it among the countries with the biggest unemployment rate drops, Eurostat reported on Thursday.

The EU28 unemployment rate was 7.1 percent in February 2018, down from 7.2 percent in January 2018, and from 8.0 percent in February 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since September 2008.

In the euro zone (EA19) the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in February 2018, down from 8.6 percent in January 2018 and from 9.5 percent in February 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro zone since December 2008.

Eurostat estimated that some 17.63 million people were unemployed in February 2018 in the EU28, including 13.91 million in the euro zone. Compared with January 2018, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 201,000 in the EU28 and by 141,000 in the euro area. Compared with February 2017, unemployment fell by 1.968 million in the EU28 and by 1.436 million in the euro zone.

By country, the lowest unemployment rates in February 2018 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.4 percent), Germany and Malta (both 3.5 percent) as well as Hungary (3.7 percent according to the most recent data for January 2018).

The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.8 percent in December 2017) and Spain (16.1 percent).

Compared with the previous year, the unemployment rate fell in all European Union member states, except in Estonia where it increased from 5.8 percent to 6.5 percent in the period between January 2017 and January 2018.

The largest year-on-year drops were registered in Cyprus (down from 12.6 percent to 9.6 percent), Greece (from 23.4 percent to 20.8 percent between December 2016 and December 2017) and Croatia (from 12.0 percent to 9.6 percent).