| dc.description.abstract | Compared with November 1979 the number of unemployed registered at ~-fie :.employment offices in the Community rose by the end of December 1979 to almost 6~~~illion. With this increase of about ~~, the percentage of registered unemployed in the civilian working population went up from 5. 6fo at the end of November to 5.7% at the end of December 1979. The labour market situation remained almost unchanged compared with the previous month in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Italy. Increases in unemployment of between 3 and 4% occurred in Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while clear increases were noted in Denmark (+ 18.1%) and the Federal Republic of Germany (+ 3.~fo). Provisional annual figures indicate that the average total unemployment for the year 1979 was 6 million. This represents a rise of 1.1% on the previous year and an increase in the average rate of unemployment from 5.5 to 5.6% for the Community. The average figures for 1979 show a significant reduction in unemployment compared with 1973 in the case of some Member States, namely Denmark (-18.8%), the Federal Republic of Germany (-ll.8fo), Luxembourg and Ireland (-9.5~ approximately) and the United Kingdom (-5.7jb). Unemployment was higher than in 1973 in France ( + 15.7%), Italy (+ 6.&fo), Belgium (+ 5.~b) and the Netherlands (+ 2.1%). |
