The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 7.8% in February 2019, down from 8.5% in February 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since October 2008, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

At the same time, the EU28 unemployment rate was 6.5% in February 2019, down from 7.1% in February 2018. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since the start of the EU monthly unemployment series in January 2000.

When compared to the previous month, the unemployment rate remained stable for both the euro area and the EU28.

Eurostat estimated that 16.01 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 12.73 million in the euro area, were unemployed in February 2019. Compared with January 2019, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 102,000 in the EU28 and by 77,000 in the euro area. Compared with February 2018, unemployment fell by 1.46 million in the EU28 and by 1.16 million in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in February 2019 were recorded in Czechia (1.9%), Germany (3.1%) and the Netherlands (3.4%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (18.0% in December 2018), Spain (13.9%) and Italy (10.7%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all member states except Denmark and Austria where it remained stable. The largest decreases were registered in Greece (from 20.8% to 18.0% between December 2017 and December 2018), Cyprus (from 9.4% to 7.1%), Spain (from 16.2% to 13.9%) and Estonia (from 6.4% to 4.2% between January 2018 and January 2019).

Meanwhile, in February 2019, the youth unemployment rate was 14.6% in the EU28 and 16.1% in the euro area, compared with 15.7% and 17.7% respectively in February 2018.