The regions of Zeeland in the Netherlands and Italy's Bolzano/Bozen both recorded unemployment rates of 2.7 per cent during 2010, the lowest within the European Union (EU).

New statistics from Eurostat show a wide variation between joblessness totals, with two-thirds of the 271 regions surveyed witnessing a climb between 2009 and 2010 in unemployment.

The statistical agency also revealed that the highest rates of people out of work were found last year in French Overseas Department of Reunion (28.9 per cent), while high levels were also recorded in Spain's Canarias (28.7 per cent) and Andalucia (28 per cent) areas.

Female unemployment rates within the regions of the 27 EU nations ranged from 2.5 per cent in Tirol, Italy and 31.9 per cent in Melilla, Spain, while those for young people varied from 5.1 per cent in Oberbayern, Germany to 60.2 per cent in Ceuta, Spain.

A total of 32 regions were found to have joblessness of 4.8 per cent or lower last year, which is half the EU average, including eight areas of both the Netherlands and Austria and seven in Germany.

Eurostat recently published the results of its Labour Force Survey 2010, which showed that 21 per cent of those employed part-time in the 27 member states are available to work more hours and would like to do so.

Posted by Alex Donnell