04/11/2021 09:20
In September 2021, the euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.4%, down from 7.5% in August 2021 and from 8.6% in September 2020. The EU unemployment rate was 6.7% in September 2021, down from 6.9% in August 2021 and from 7.7% in September 2020, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
In Cyprus, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 3.6% in September, compared to 4.4% in August and 9.1% in September 2020.
Eurostat estimates that 14.324 million men and women in the EU, of whom 12.079 million in the euro area, were unemployed in September 2021.
Compared with August 2021, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 306,000 in the EU and by 255,000 in the euro area. Compared with September 2020, unemployment decreased by 2.054 million in the EU and by 1.919 million in the euro area.
In Cyprus, 16,000 persons were counted as unemployed in September 2021. Compared to August 2021, the number of the unemployed decreased by 3,000. Compared to September 2020, the number decreased by 25,000.
In September 2021, 2.815 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.307 million were in the euro area.
The youth unemployment rate was 15.9% in the EU and 16.0% in the euro area, down from 16.1% and 16.3% respectively in the previous month.
Compared with August 2021, youth unemployment decreased by 45,000 in the EU and by 38,000 in the euro area.
Compared with September 2020, youth unemployment decreased by 375,000 in the EU and by 348,000 in the euro area.
In Cyprus, the unemployment rate among the young was at 6.8% (2,000 persons) in September 2021, showing no change compared to August, and showing a reduction compared to September 2020 when the rate was at 20.9% (7,000).
In September 2021, the unemployment rate for women was 7.0% in the EU, down from 7.2% in August 2021. The unemployment rate for men was 6.5% in September 2021, down from 6.6% in August 2021.
In the euro area, the unemployment rate for women decreased from 7.9% in August 2021 to 7.7% in September 2021, while the unemployment rate for men decreased from 7.2% to 7.1%.
In Cyprus, the unemployment rate for women was at 4.1% in September, compared with 5.0% in August and 9.0% in September 2020. The unemployment rate for men was at 3.2%, compared with 3.8% in August and 9.2% in September 2020.
Eurostat notes that these estimates are based on the globally used International Labour Organisation (ILO) standard definition of unemployment, which counts as unemployed people without a job who have been actively seeking work in the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp increase in the number of claims for unemployment benefits across the EU has been observed. However, a significant part of those who had registered in unemployment agencies were no longer actively looking for a job or no longer available for work, for instance, if they had to take care of their children. This leads to discrepancies in the number of registered unemployed and those measured as unemployed according to the ILO definition.