Having been knocked back and slipped into the fourth and fifth lowest place in the EU unemployment stakes, Malta is now back in third lowest place, beaten only by the UK and Germany, Eurostat figures showed on Tuesday.

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rate in May was recorded in Germany (4.7%), and the highest in Greece (25.6% in March 2015) and Spain (22.5%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in May fell in twenty-two Member States, increased in five and remained stable in Cyprus.

The largest decreases were registered in Lithuania (11.0% to 8.2%), Spain (24.7% to 22.5%) and Ireland (11.7% to 9.8%).

The increases were registered in Belgium (8.4% to 8.6%), France (10.1% to 10.3%), Romania (6.8% to 7.1%), Austria (5.6% to 6.0%) and Finland (8.6% to 9.4%).

In May 2015, the unemployment rate in the United States was 5.5%, up from 5.4% in April 2015 and down from 6.3% in May 2014.

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.1% in May, stable compared with April 20154, and down from 11.6% in May 2014. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since March 2012. The EU28 unemployment rate was 9.6% in May 2015, also stable compared with April 2015 and down from 10.3% in May 2014. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since July 2011.

Eurostat estimates that 23.348 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 17.726 million in the euro area, were unemployed in May. Compared with April, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 38 000 in the EU28 and by 35 000 in the euro area. Compared with May 2014, unemployment fell by 1.575 million in the EU28 and by 939 000 in the euro area.