The unemployment rate for the OECD area fell slightly to 8.7 per cent in January 2010, reflecting drops of 0.3 percentage points in the United States and Japan, according to figures released today.
The latest figures for the United States show that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.7 per cent in February, while in neighbouring Canada, the unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent in January 2010, 0.1 per cent lower than in the previous month. Japan's unemployment rate was 4.9 per cent.
Rates in the Euro area stabilised in January at 9.9 per cent, but in many countries - notably France and Italy - rates continued their recent upward trend.
In all OECD countries rates remained at higher levels than a year ago, varying from 0.3 per cent higher in Australia to 4.4 per cent in Ireland, with the OECD rate 1.4 per cent higher.
In November 2009, the latest data available, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was 7.8 per cent, the same as in the previous month.