The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.6% in January 2018, down from 9.6% in January 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.  

The EU28 unemployment rate stood at 7.3% in January 2018, down from 8.1% in January 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since October 2008.

On a month-to-month basis, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate remained stable for both the euro area and EU28 in January 2018.

Eurostat estimated that 17.9 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 14.1 million in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2018. Compared with January 2017, unemployment fell by 1.86 million in the EU28 and by 1.42 million in the euro area. Compared with December 2017, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 19,000 in the EU28 and by 10,000 in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in January 2018 was recorded in the Czech Republic (2.4%). The highest unemployment rate was seen in Greece (20.9% in November 2017) and Spain (16.3%). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all member states. The largest decrease was registered in Cyprus (from 12.6% to 9.8%).

In January 2018, the youth unemployment rate stood at 16.1% in the EU28 and 17.7% in the euro area, compared with 17.6% and 19.9% respectively in January 2017. The lowest rate was recorded in the Czech Republic (5.8%), while the highest was recorded in Greece (43.7% in November 2017).