Short-term trends. Unemployment. Unemployment in the Community. 1990.5

Abstract

After compensating for differences in national recording methods, the sea-. sonally adjusted unemployment rate in the European Community, .ac-: .... cording to the International Labour Office (ILO) definition, is estimated to have been 8.5% in April 1990, compared with 8.6% for the previous month. In the Member states where there has been a strong downward trend since the end of 1988 (a fall of over 10% compared with the same month of the previous year), the rate of decrease has eased over recent months. A fall of 23% over the 12 months to the end of 1989 in the United Kingdom had slowed to a fall of 18% in the spring of this year. In the Federal Republic of Germany -10% in the summer of 1989 slowed to -6%, in Spain from -13% to -10% a year, in Belgium from -17% in the Spring of 1989 to>9%. in the Spring of 1990. A drop of 12% recorded in Portugal at the starfof - · · · 1989 appears to have now halted.