The European Statistic System Eurostat brought to light data concerning unemployment in the EU regions for the year 2012, on May 22.
According to Eurostat, the region of West Macedonia is the fifth region in the EU with the highest unemployment rate (92,9%) and the first in the EU concerning youth unemployment, among people from 15 to 24 years old out of work, at a rate up to 72,5%.
Among the top ten European regions with the highest youth unemployment rates are the Peloponnese (61,4%), Epirus (60,5%), Central Macedonia (60,4%) and Central Greece (59,1%).
West Macedonia and Attica are among the top ten European regions with the highest unemployment rate for males in the EU at 25,1% and 24% respectively.
As far as female unemployment is concerned, West Macedonia at 36,8%, Central Greece at 36,3% and Thessaly at 30,5% are among the ten highest rates in the EU.
The ten highest rates of long-term unemployment in the EU are the Peloponnese at 68,6% and the North Aegean at 67,3%.
As for Greece, the highest unemployment rates for the year 2012 were recorded in West Macedonia (29,9%), Central Greece (27,8%), Central Macedonia (26%), Western Greece (25,5%), Attica (25,3% in contrast to 17,6% in 2011), Epirus (22,9%), Thessaly (22,6%), East Macedonia and Thrace (22,5%), Crete (21,7%) and the North Aegean (21,2%). The lowest unemployment rate was in the South Aegean (15,1%) and the Peloponnese (19,9%).
In the EU, unemployment during 2012 ranged from 2,5% in Austria’s regions Salzburg and Tirol, to 38,5% in Ceuta in Spain. After Salzburg and Tirol, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the German regions Tübingen, Oberbayern and Trier (2,7%).
The Spanish regions have the highest unemployment rates. First are Ceuta (38,5%), Andalucía (34,6%), Extremadura (33%) and the Canary Islands (33%). West Macedonia (29,9%), the Spanish regions Melilla (28,6%), Castilla-La Mancha (28,5%) and Murcia (27,9%), as well as Central Greece (27,8%) follow.
Concerning youth unemployment, the highest rates in the EU are in Central Macedonia (72,5%), in Ceuta of Spain (70,6%), in the Canary Islands (62,6%), in Andalucía (62,3%), in Extremadura (61,6%), in the Peloponnese (61,4%), in the Spanish region Melilla (60,9%), in Epirus (60,5%), in Central Macedonia (60,4%) and in Central Greece (59,1%).
“We must revive hope, especially for young people. We cannot wait for long, we are all aware this is urgent,” European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said last month.
Europe’s leaders have called for more action to tackle joblessness in Europe. Barroso has urged Europe’s leaders to come up with “a more ambitious plan to fight youth unemployment” at next month’s EU summit, as reported in the newspaper, Telegraph.
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