The EU28 unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in August 2018, unchanged from July 2018, and down by 0.8 percentage points from 7.5 percent in August 2017, according to a report released on Monday by Eurostat, the statistics bureau of the European Union.

This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since April 2008. Once again, Croatia was ranked among the group of countries with the biggest unemployment rate drops.

The euro zone (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in August 2018, down from 8.2 percent in July 2018 and from 9.0 percent in August 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro zone since November 2008.

Eurostat estimated that 16.657 million men and women in the EU28 – including 13.220 million in the euro zone – were without employment in August 2018.

Month-on-month, the total number of jobless people dropped by 114,000 in the EU28 and by 102,000 in the euro zone. Year-on-year, unemployment fell by 1.921 million in the EU28 and by 1.419 million in the euro zone.

By EU member state, the lowest unemployment rates in August 2018 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.5 percent), Germany, and Poland (both at 3.4 percent).

Meanwhile, the highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (19.1 percent in June 2018, according to the most recent data available) and Spain (15.2 percent).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all member countries. The largest decreases were registered in Cyprus (from 10.5 to 7.5 percent), Croatia (from 10.9 to 8.5 percent), Greece (from 21.3 to 19.1 percent between June 2017 and June 2018) and Portugal (from 8.8 to 6.8 percent).

In August 2018, the unemployment rate in Croatia was 8.5 percent, or 0.2 percentage points down from July 2018. A total of 154,000 Croatians were jobless in August 2018, or 3,000 fewer than in July.

Compared with August 2017, the number of jobless in Croatia went down by 45,000.

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