With an unemployment rate of 7.2%, in December 2009 (seasonally adjusted) Malta has the sixth lowest unemployment rate in the EU, figures published by Eurostat yesterday show.

The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (4.0%) and Austria (5.4%), and the highest rates in Latvia (22.8%) and Spain (19.5%).

Compared with a year ago, all Member States recorded an increase in their unemployment rate. The smallest increases were observed in Germany (7.1% to 7.5%), Luxembourg (5.3% to 6.2%) and Belgium (7.1% to 8.2%). The highest increases were registered in Latvia (11.3% to 22.8%), Estonia (6.5% to 15.2% between the third quarters of 2008 and 2009) and Lithuania (6.5% to 14.6% between the third quarters of 2008 and 2009).

Between December 2008 and December 2009, the unemployment rate for males rose from 7.8% to 10.0% in the euro area and from 7.5% to 9.8% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 8.7% to 10.1% in the euro area and from 7.9% to 9.3% in the EU27.

In December 2009, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 21.0% in the euro area and 21.4% in the EU27. In December 2008 it was 17.0% and 16.9% respectively. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (7.6%), and the highest rates in Spain (44.5%) and Latvia (43.8% in the fourth quarter of 2009).