EMPLOYMENT: OECD UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 6.4% IN OCTOBER 2005.

• Position: Brief article

The standardised unemployment rate for the OECD area fell to 6.4% in October 2005, 0.1 percentage point lower than the previous month and 0.4 percentage point lower than a year earlier.

In the euro area, it remained at 8.3% in October 2005, 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier. The United States' standardised unemployment rate for November 2005 remained at 0.5%, 0.4 percentage point lower than a year earlier. For Japan, the rate was 4.5% in October 2005, 0.3 percentage point lower than the previous month but 0.2 percentage point lower than in October 2004.

In October 2005, the standardised unemployment rate in France fell to 9.3%, 0.1 percentage point lower than the previous month and 0.2 percentage point lower than a year earlier. In Germany, the rate was 9.1% in October 2005, 0.5 percentage higher than the...