The EU Unemployment infographic

iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP I124 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament. iiea.com THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic This is the percentage of the EU 9.7% labour force that is unable to find a job. But there are large variations in unemployment levels across age, gender and geographical divides. Read on to learn more. Which countries have the worst rates of unemployment? % Spain Greece 22.6 17.6 Latvia 16.1 Lithuania Ireland 15.5 14.2 Slovakia 13.5 Estonia 12.8 Portugal Bulgaria Hungary France Poland 12.5 11.9 9.9 9.9 9.4 UK 8.3 Italy Slovenia 8.3 8 Cyprus Finland 7.8 7.8 Romania 7.5 Sweden 7.2 Denmark 7.1 Belgium Czech Republic Malta 6.7 6.6 6.6 Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Austria 5.8 4.8 4.5 3.9 Overall, the gender divide is not too pronounced, but young people are finding it much harder to get work than older people. MEN 9.9% |18-24 AGE GROUP 9.5% WOMEN 21.4% Let's take a step back and try to put these figures into a long-term context. 12.00% Highest 9.7% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 6.8% Lowest 4.00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Over the past four years, unemployment has risen substantially from a ten-year low of 6.8% before the financial crisis. But there are different types of unemployment. Long-term unemployment refers to people who have been out of work for more than 12 months. 30m 25m 20m 15m EU LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT 10m 5m EU UNEMPLOYMENT Om 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 This type of unemployment is particularly difficult to reduce because the longer people are out of work the harder they find it to re-enter the job market. 42% of unemployed Europeans have now been without a job for more than a year. | Unemployment rates generally refer to a percentage of the labour force. The participation rate refers to the percentage of people between 15-74 who are in the labour force. The participation rate excludes those who are unable to work or choose not to work, such as children, housewives/husbands, students, the elderly and the incapacitated. Participation Rate (PR) 71% 70.5% 70% ill 69.5% 69% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The participation rate in the EU has stayed high, which is a positive unemployment are masked by people leaving the labour force. The United States is an example of a country where this is thought to occur on a significant scale. as oftentimes higher underlying levels of Overall levels of unemployment differ drastically across EU countries, but so too do the profiles of the unemployed, as we can see from the examples below. This variation makes it difficult to come up with European solutions. 18-24 AGE GROUP 10.6% FRANCE 9.9% 9.2% 24% 18-24 AGE 5.6% GROUP GERMANY 5.8% 6% 9.2% 18-24 AGE GROUP 20.9% GREECE 17.6% 15.2% 43.5% 18-24 AGE 10.2% GROUP IRELAND 14.2% 17.2% 29.5% 18-24 AGE GROUP 9.7% ITALY 8.3% 7.4% 29.3% 18-24 AGE 23.1% GROUP SPAIN 22.6% 22.1% 48% While the EU averages show one part of the story, each individual country has different challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment is a problem everywhere, but Greece : particular face stern challenges relative to overall unemployment. Ireland has a particular problem with male unemployment, a hangover from the construction bubble, while in Greece, female unemployment is more of a concern. Italy in In order to address these problems, a range of policy initiatives can be taken at both a European and national level. For more information on EU initiatives on unemployment, take a look at the work of the CRIS committee in the European Parliament and the Commission's EU2020 initiative. THE EU O UNEMPLOYMENT Infog raphic All data is taken from the Eurostat database, which can be accessed here: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Total, gender, youth and country data taken from eurostat:teilm020 and eurostat:teilm021. Data relates to timepoint 2011M09 except for UK (MO8), Greece (M07), Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (M06). Greece's youth unemployment rate refers to M07. Time-scaled unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_rt_a. Long-term unemployment data taken from eurostat:une_ltu_q. Participation rate data taken from eurostat:Ifsa_pgaied. Produced by the Institute of International and European Affairs: www.iiea.com. This infographic forms part of the E View project, which is part-funded by DG Communication of the European Parliament.