The unemployment rate in the EU and the euro area in December 2022 was the same as in the previous month, and in Croatia, it fell below the euro area average, shows a report released by Eurostat on Wednesday.

In the EU, measured by the methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), unemployment was 6.1% in December, the same as in November.

In the 19-member euro area, it remained at 6.6%, shows a Eurostat table.

For the sake of comparison, in December 2021 unemployment in the EU was 6.4% and in the euro area, it was 7%.

Eurostat estimates that 12.148 million citizens were out of work in the EU in December, including close to 11 million in the euro area. Month-on-month, the number of jobless persons in the EU rose by 28,000 and by 23,000 in the euro area.

Compared to December 2021, the number of jobless persons was down by 518,000 in the EU, and by 494,000 in the euro area.

Spain and Greece with highest unemployment

Spain and Greece continue to register two-digit unemployment rates, of 13.1% and 11.6% respectively in December 2022.

In Croatia, the unemployment rate in December was 6.4%, down by 0.1 pp compared to November according to Eurostat data. In December 2021 it was at 6.7%.

In December 2022, 116,000 Croatians were out of work, 2,000 fewer than in the previous month. Compared to December 2021, the number of jobless persons was down by 5,000.

The lowest unemployment rates were reported by the Czech Republic, 2.3%, followed by Germany and Poland, each 2.9%.