Malta has the lowest unemployment rate in the eurozone and the second lowest in the EU as a whole, EU official figures issued on Thursday show.

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5% in April 2018, down from 8.6% in March 2018 and from 9.2% in April 2017. This was the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008.

The EU28 unemployment rate was 7.1% in April 2018, stable compared with March 2018 and down from 7.8% in April 2017. 

Eurostat estimated that 17.462 million men and women in the EU28 - including 13.88 million in the euro area - were unemployed in April 2018.  

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates in April 2018 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.2%), Malta (3%) and Germany (3.4%). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.8% in February 2018) and Spain (15.9%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate fell in all member states except Italy where it remained stable and Estonia where it increased (from 5.3% to 5.6% between March 2017 and March 2018).

The largest decreases were registered in Cyprus (from 11.7% to 8.6%), Croatia (from 11.5% to 9.1%) and Portugal (from 9.5% to 7.4%).