With slightly fewer people registering as unemployed in June, Malta has comfortably retained its fourth lowest place in the EU unemployment stakes.

Statistics published by Eurostat yesterday showed that at 6.1% unemployment, Malta has now shaken off the challenge by the Czech Republic and Denmark which registered 6.8%.

 Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.6%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (26.9% in April 2013) and Spain (26.3%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in 17 member states and fell in 10. The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (11.7% to 17.3%), Greece (23.1% to 26.9% between April 2012 and April 2013) and Slovenia (8.8% to 11.2%). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.5% to 12.5% between the first quarters of 2012 and 2013) and Estonia (10.1% to 8.0% between May 2012 and May 2013).

In June 2013, the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.6%, stable compared with May and down from 8.2% in June 2012.

The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.1% in June 2013, stable compared with May. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.9%, down from 11.0% in May. In both zones, rates have risen compared with June 2012, when they were 11.4% and 10.5% respectively.