The euro zone (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.0 percent in August 2013, stable compared July, according to the same source. The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.9 percent, also stable compared with the previous month. In both zones, rates were up compared with August 2012, when they were 11.5 percent and 10.6 percent respectively.

The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9 percent), Germany (5.2 percent) and Luxembourg (5.8 percent), and the highest in Greece (27.9 percent in June 2013) and Spain (26.2 percent). Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in sixteen member states, fell in eleven and remained stable in Poland.

The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (12.3 percent to 16.9 percent) and Greece (24.6 percent to 27.9 percent between June 2012 and June 2013). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.6 percent to 11.4 percent between the second quarters of 2012 and 2013) and Estonia (10.1 percent to 7.9 percent between July 2012 and July 2013).

 In August 2013, the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.3 percent, down from 7.4 percent in July 2013 and from 8.1 percent in August 2012. (source: business-review.eu)