Long-term unemployment in the EU shows a north-south divide and affects different groups
The study shows that there is a clear north-south divide on the European labor market: In Greece, Spain and Croatia about 18, 11 and 10.4 percent of the labor force are unemployed over the long term - clearly more than across the EU as a whole, where its 4.3 percent . In contrast Great Britain, Sweden and Luxembourg have the lowest long-term unemployment rates with 1.5 and 1.6 percent.
While long-term unemployment is most prevalent among low-skilled workers in almost every country, in Greece, Spain, and Croatia long-term unemployment also affects more than 10 percent of workers with mid-level qualifications and in excess of 5 percent of highly qualified individuals.