In April 2018, for the sixth month in a row, Croatia was among EU countries with the highest year-on-year drop in unemployment rate, data published by Eurostat showed.

On EU level, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained in April at 7.1 percent, the same level it was in February and March, which is the lowest in nine and a half years.

In the euro zone, the rate slipped 0.1 percent compared to the revised March data, to 8.5 percent, which is the lowest it has been since December 2008, the report said.

Some 17.460 million people across EU were unemployed in April, 13.8 million of which in the euro zone. The number went down in April by 53,000 in the EU and 56,000 in the euro zone.

Compared to April 2017, there are 1.633 million fewer unemployed in the EU, and 1.088 fewer in the euro zone.

The lowest unemployment rates in the EU in April were recorded in The Czech Republic (2.2 percent), Malta (3.0 percent), and Germany (3.4 percent).

The highest unemployment rates were recorded in Greece (20.8 percent in February) and Spain (15.9 percent).

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Croatia dropped in April to the lowest level in the last nine years, to 9.1 percent, a 0.2 percent drop from March. Some 164,000 people were unemployed in April in Croatia, 4,000 fewer on the month. Compared to April 2017, the number dropped by 47,000.

Estonia recorded increased unemployment rates on the year, by 0.3 percent. The largest drop compared to April 2017 was recorded in Cyprus (3.1 percent), followed by Croatia (2.4 percent) and Portugal (2.1) percent.

Among people aged 25 or under the unemployment rate on the EU level was 15.3 percent in April, 0.1 percent lower than the revised March data. In the same period last year, the rate was 17.2 percent.

Among EU countries, the lowest unemployment rate in that age group was recorded by Germany (6.0 percent), Malta (6.8 percent), and The Netherlands (6.9 percent).

The highest unemployment rate was recorded in Greece (45.5 percent in February), Spain (34.4 percent), and Italy (33.1 percent).

Croatia does not publish monthly data on youth unemployment rates. In Q1 2018, the unemployment rate was 23.5 percent, with 36,000 people under the age 25 unemployed, Eurostat’s report showed.

Follow N1 via mobile apps for Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| and social media on Twitter | Facebook.