Eurostat: Czech unemployment rate still lowest in EU, at 2.7 percent in July

The Czech Republic has the lowest unemployment rate of any EU member state, at 2.7 percent, according to July data from Eurostat, the statistical arm of the European Union. The EU average stood at 7.2 percent while in Spain it reached 15.8 percent.

Among people under the age of 25, the unemployment rate on average was 17 percent. Germany had the lowest rate in the age group, at 5.7 percent. In the Czech Republic, as well as in Bulgaria, Malta and Poland, it was under 10 percent. In Spain, it exceed 40 percent.

Eurostat unemployment data are based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. It counts among the unemployed those who have been actively looking for work in the previous four weeks and are able to start work in the next two weeks.