Short-term trends. Unemployment. Unemployment in the European Union. 1996.8/9

Abstract

Eurostat estimates that the seasor,ally-adjusted unemployment rate in the European Union (fifteen Member States) for the months of June and July 1996 was 10.7%, representing a decrease of 0.1% by comparison with the two previous months. The European un~mployment rate peaked at 10.9% in March 1996, but is now at the same level as1one year ago. . . I, Unemployment has been falling steadily for a number of years in several Member States including Denmark (from 10.6°~ in June 1993 to 6.3% in July 1996), Spain (from 24.5% in May 1994 to 21.3°~o, in July 1996), the United Kingdom (from 10.7% in January 1993 to 8.3% in July 1996) and Finland (from 19.6% in March 1994 to 16.3% in July 1996). In recent months it has been falling also in Belgiuf!1, the Netherlands and Portugal. 1' On the other hand, the current rate 1are noticeably higher than one year ago in Germany (8.9% in July 1996 compared with 8.1% in May 1995) and France (11. 7% in July 1996 compared with 1'1'.2% in July 1995). II · The unemployment rate for persons aged between 15 and 24 years in the I' . European Union has been falling since the beginning of 1994 and is now below 21 %, so that one young person is uriemployed for every four who have. a job. But since more than half of young people aged between 15 and 24 are still studying, it may be considered that in fact one young person in ten is unemployed.