The European Union seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in September 2018, unchanged from August, and down from 7.5 percent in September 2017, according to recently released report by Eurostat.

This is the lowest unemployment rate on record in the 28-country bloc since records began in January 2000.

The 19-country euro zone seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in September 2018, also unchanged from August, and down from 8.9 percent in September 2017. This remains the lowest rate on record in the euro zone since November 2008.

According to Eurostat estimates, some 16.57 million people in the EU28 – including 13.15 million in the euro zone – were without work in September 2018.

Month-on-month, the number of persons jobless people dropped by 35,000 in the EU28, and increased by 2,000 in the euro zone. Year-on-year, unemployment fell by 1.79 million in the EU28, and by 1.30 million in the euro zone.

By country, the lowest unemployment rates in September 2018 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.3 percent), Germany, and Poland (3.4 percent each). The highest rates were observed in Greece (19.0 percent in July 2018, the most recent month for which Greek data is available) and Spain (14.9 percent).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all EU countries but one, remaining unchanged in Estonia only.

The largest year-on-year drops were in Cyprus (from 10.2 percent to 7.4 percent), Croatia (from 10.5 percent to 8.2 percent), Greece (from 20.9 percent to 19.0 percent between July 2017 and July 2018), Portugal (from 8.5 percent to 6.6 percent) and Spain (from 16.7% percent to 14.9 percent).

In September 2018, the unemployment rate in Croatia 8.2 percent, inching down by 0.2 percentage points from August.

A total of 147,000 Croatians were jobless in September, or 5,000 less than in August. Year-on-year, the number of unemployed people in Croatia dropped by 45,000.

In addition, some 3.33 million young persons under the age of 25 were unemployed in the EU28, including 2.40 million in the euro zone.

Year-on-year, youth unemployment dropped by 385,000 in the EU28, and by 212,000 in the euro zone.

In September 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 14.9 percent in the EU28 and 16.8 percent in the euro zone, compared with 16.5 percent and 18.3 percent respectively in September 2017.

The lowest rates in September were in the Czech Republic and Germany (both at 6.3 percent) and the Netherlands (7.5 percent), while the highest were recorded in Greece (37.9 percent in July 2018), Spain (34.3 percent) and Italy (31.6 percent).

The youth unemployment rate in Croatia in September stood at 23 percent, with 34,000 young persons without a job.

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