Unemployment across the eurozone fell below 10 percent in February, new European Union figures showed Friday, suggesting some 77,000 fewer people were out of work. The rate of unemployment across the 17-nation currency area fell to 9.9 percent - after January's rate was revised upwards to the symbolic one in 10 level.
The jobless rate in the single currency area had been stuck at 10 percent since July last year, hitting a record 10.1 percent in October, according to seasonally-adjusted Eurostat figures. Some 15.75 million people were looking for work in February.
Across the wider 27-nation EU, which includes non-euro Britain and Poland, the jobless rate was 9.5 percent Some 23.05 million people were looking for jobs in January in the EU, 99,000 fewer than in January. The highest unemployment rate was recorded in Spain at 20.5 percent, while the Netherlands had the lowest rate at 4.3 percent. The corresponding rate for the United States was 8.9 percent, and for Japan 4.6 percent.