OECD UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES TO 7.2% IN APRIL 2003.

• Position: Brief Article

The standardised unemployment rate for the OECD area rose to 7.2% in April 2003, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous month and 0.3 percentage point higher than a year earlier.

In the Euro area, the standardised unemployment rate remained at 8.8% in April 2003, 0.5 percentage point higher than a year earlier. For the United States, the standardised unemployment rate was 6.0% in April 2003, 0.2 percentage point higher than the previous month and 0.1 percentage point higher than a year earlier. For Japan, the standardised unemployment rate remained at 5.4% in April 2003, 0.1 percentage point higher than a year earlier.

Over the twelve months to April 2003, the standardised unemployment rate rose in France from 8.7% to 9.1%, in Germany from 8.4% to 9.4% and fell in Canada from...