The OECD-area unemployment rate on a standardised basis was 6.5% in July, the same level as June and 0.4 percentage points lower than a year earlier. The unemployment rate remained stable at 4.0% in the United States, at 4.7% in Japan, at 8.4% in the Czech Republic, at 9.6% in France, at 8.4% in Germany and at 4.5% in Ireland. The unemployment rate fell to 6.3% in Australia, to 3.2% in Austria, to 9.4% in Finland, to 4.3% in Portugal and to 5.6% in Sweden. The unemployment rate rose to 6.8% in Canada and to 14.2% in Spain.

©OECD Observer September 2000