In July 2016, Croatia recorded a seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 13.2%, down 0.1 percentage points from May 2016. It had 244,000 unemployed persons -- 2,000 fewer than in May 2016 and 66,000 fewer than in June 2015.
Higher unemployment rates were observed only in Greece (23.3% in April) and Spain (19.9%). The lowest rates were recorded in Malta (4%), the Czech Republic (4.1%) and Germany (4.2%).
Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate in June 2016 fell in 25 member states, remained stable in Belgium and Estonia, and increased in Austria (from 5.7% to 6.2%). The largest decreases were registered in Cyprus (from 15.1% to 11.7%), Croatia (from 16.2% to 13.2%), Bulgaria (from 9.7% to 7.2%) and Spain (from 22.3% to 19.9%).
The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the 28-member EU in June 2016, compared with May 2016, remained unchanged at 8.6%, while compared with June 2015 it decreased by 0.9 percentage points. This was the lowest rate since March 2009.
In the 19-member euro area, the unemployment rate was 10.1% in June 2016, stable compared with May 2016 and down from 11.0% in June 2015. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since July 2011, Eurostat said.
Eurostat estimates that 20.986 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 16.269 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in June 2016. Compared with May 2016, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 91,000 in the EU28 and by 37,000 in the euro area. Compared with June 2015, unemployment fell by 2.114 million in the EU28 and by 1.363 million in the euro area.
Of the total number of the unemployed in the EU in June 2016, 4.194 million were young persons aged under 25, of whom 2.915 million were in the euro area. Compared with June 2015, youth unemployment decreased by 492,000 in the EU28 and by 248,000 in the euro area.
In June 2016, the youth unemployment rate was 18.5% in the EU28 and 20.8% in the euro area, compared with 20.6% and 22.5% respectively in June 2015.
In Croatia, the youth unemployment rate was 30.1%, according to figures for the second quarter of 2016. Higher rates were recorded only in Greece (47.4% in April), Spain (45.8%) and Italy (36.5%). The lowest rates were observed in Malta (6.9%) and Germany (7.2%).