Ireland lowest eurozone jobless in March 2005

Business World:

Ireland, with 4.3%, had the lowest rate of unemployment in the eurozone where the average edged up to 8.9% in March, EU statistics office, Eurostat said today.

Eurozone seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 8.9% in February 2005, compared to 8.8% in January, Eurostat said.

It was 8.9% in February 2004. The EU25 unemployment rate was 8.9% in February 2005, unchanged compared to January. It was 9.0% in February 2004.

In February 2005, the lowest rates were registered in Ireland (4.3%), Luxembourg (4.4%), Austria (4.6%), the United Kingdom (4.6% in December 2004) and the Netherlands (4.7% in December 2004). Unemployment rates were highest in Poland (18.1%), Slovakia (16.2%), Greece (10.5% in September 2004) and Spain (10.3%).

In February 2005, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 18.5% in the eurozone and 18.8% in the EU25. In February 2004 it was 18.0% and 18.8% respectively. The lowest rates for under-25s were observed in Denmark (7.4% in January 2005), the Netherlands (7.4% in December 2004) and Ireland (7.9%), and the highest in Poland (37.6%), Slovakia (28.8%), Greece (26.3% in September 2004) and Italy (24.0% in December 2004).

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