The unemployment rate across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries remained stable in September.

Figures published by the Paris-based body show that the month saw the total hold at 8.5 per cent, or around 45.5 million, down by 0.6 million compared with September 2009.

The proportion of people out of work in the OECD area has remained largely stable since June this year.

While joblessness dipped in the UK, Germany, Canada and Japan over the month from August to September 2010, a slight rise was recorded within the eurozone and in Italy.

The US saw unemployment remain stable at 9.6 per cent during the period in question, while particularly low levels of people out of work were recorded in the Netherlands (4.4 per cent) and Austria (4.5 per cent).

Recent data from the European Union showed that the unemployment rate stood at 9.6 per cent across the 27 member nations during September 2010, unchanged from the previous month.

Posted by Lee Thrace