The employment rate in the eurozone went down 0.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the previous quarter, the first estimates from the official European Union (EU) statistics agency said Monday.

Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell 2.1 percent in the eurozone and 2.0 percent in the EU in the third quarter of 2009, said Eurostat.

In the second quarter of 2009, employment decreased 1.8 percent and 1.7 percent in the two regions respectively.

Seasonally adjusted figures showed the employment rate in the eurozone went down 0.5 percent (representing 712,000 persons) in the third quarter of 2009 and the same declining trend is recorded in the whole of the EU with also a 0.5 percent (representing 1,019,000 persons) decrease.

In the second quarter of 2009, employment declined 0.5 percent in the eurozone and 0.6 percent in the EU.

In the year up to the second quarter of 2009, the average number of actual hours worked per week by people in full-time employment fell 0.7 hours (from 41.0 hours per week to 40.3 hours)in the EU and by 0.8 hours (from 40.8 hours to 40.0 hours) in the euro area, while between the second quarters of 2007 and 2008 there had been a rise by 0.3 hours in both zones.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2009)