Where the December figures left some margin of doubt because Malta and the Czech Republic were placed together in the fourth place, and Malta was listed in the fifth place merely because of alphabetical order, there is now no doubt about it: Malta has slid down to the fifth lowest in the European unemployment stakes.

A Eurostat release today has put unemployment in the Czech Republic at 6.8% while Malta’s is put at 6.9%.

The euro area (EA18) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.0% in January 2014, stable since October 20134. It was also 12.0% in January 2013. The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.8% in January 2014, stable since October 2013. It was 11.0% in January 2013.

Eurostat estimates that 26.231 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 19.175 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2014. Compared with December 2013, the number of persons unemployed increased by 17 000 in both the EU28 and the euro area. Compared with January 2013, unemployment decreased by 449 000 in the EU28, and by 67 000 in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9%), Germany (5.0%) and Luxembourg (6.1%), and the highest in Greece (28.0% in November 2013) and Spain (25.8%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen Member States, fell in thirteen and remained stable in Austria and Slovenia.

The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (14.4% to 16.8%), Greece (26.3% to 28.0% between November 2012 and November 2013), Croatia (17.4% to 18.8%), Italy (11.8% to 12.9%) and the Netherlands (6.0% to 7.1%).

The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (14.3% to 11.5% between the fourth quarters of 2012 and 2013), Portugal (17.6% to 15.3%), Hungary (11.1% to 8.8% between December 2012 and December 2013), Ireland (13.8% to 11.9%), and Lithuania (12.8% to 11.3%).

In January 2014, the unemployment rate in the United States was 6.6%, down from 6.7% in December 2013 and from 7.9% in January 2013.