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Cyprus recorded the EU's largest annual dip in unemployment in March, from 12.3% to 9.1% followed by Greece (23.2% to 20.6%, Croatia (11.8% to 9.4%) and Portugal (9.7% to 7.4%), according to Eurostat.
Eurostat estimates that 39,000 individuals in Cyprus were unemployed in March (it was 40,000 in February, 42,000 in January and 52,000, a year ago).
Eurostat said Wednesday, the euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5% in March, stable compared with February and down from 9.4% in March 2017.
This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008.
Eurostat estimates that 39,000 individuals in Cyprus were unemployed in March
The EU28 unemployment rate was 7.1% in March, stable compared with February and down from 7.9% in March 2017.
This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since September 2008.
Eurostat estimates that 17.481 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 13.824 million in the euro area, were unemployed in March.
Compared with February, the number of unemployed decreased by 94,000 in the EU28 and by 83 000 in the euro area.
Compared with March 2017, unemployment fell by 1.930 million in the EU28 and by 1.414 million in the euro area.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in March 2018 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.2%), Malta (3.3%) and Germany (3.4%).
The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.6% in January 2018) and Spain (16.1%).
Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all Member States except Lithuania where it remained stable and Estonia where it increased (from 5.3% to 6.5% between February 2017 and February 2018).
In March 2018, the unemployment rate in the United States was 4.1%, stable compared to February 2018 and down from 4.5% in March 2017.
Meanwhile, in March 2018, 3.5 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU28, of whom 2.4 million were in the euro area.
Compared with March 2017, youth unemployment decreased by 409,000 in the EU28 and by 305,000 in the euro area.
In March 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 15.6% in the EU28 and 17.3% in the euro area, compared with 17.3% and 19.4% respectively in March 2017.
The lowest rates were observed in Germany (6.1%), the Czech Republic (6.8%) and the Netherlands (7.0%), while the highest was recorded in Greece (42.3% in January 2018), Spain (35.0%) and Italy (31.7%).
Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania and Slovenia provide quarterly data on youth unemployment.
The last quarterly figure for Cyprus in December 2017 was 22.8% (or 8,000 individuals).
