The unemployment rate fell in May to 8.4% in the Euro Zone, compared to 9.2% in the same month of 2017, and in the EU to 7.0%, compared to 7.7% ayear before. Compared to April the unemployment rate remained stable for both areas.

According to the EU statistics office, the largest annual decline in the unemployment rate was observed in Cyprus (from 11.4% to 8.4%), Croatia (from 11.3% to 8.9%), Greece (from 22.1% to 20.1% in March) and Portugal (from 9.2% to 7.3%).

In May, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.3%) and Germany (3.4%) and the highest in Greece (20.1% in May) and Spain (15.8% ).

In Portugal, the unemployment rate of 7.3% recorded a year-on-year decline (9.2% in May 2017) and a rise from 7.2% in April.