According to statistics conducted by EU experts, the unemployment rate in European countries is rising alarmingly every day. In spring, an increase in unemployed citizens in EU countries was recorded from 419,000 to 14.1 million people, which is about 9% of the working-age population. Of course, this situation affects not only individual citizens but the entire economy of EU countries as a whole. Governments are developing programs under which the unemployed are registered, funds are allocated for them, and targeted mailing is used to search for jobs via the Internet.
Living in the EU is becoming expensive. Services such as courier delivery of flowers and similar ones have received fewer orders. Consumers of any income level are trying to minimize all costs, and now, for example, express delivery of mail or documents is in less demand than before. In major cities of European countries, demand for attending cultural events and shows has significantly fallen. Now people think about how to feed themselves and pay for housing after the steep price increases.
Data forecasted for 2010 indicate that the unemployment rate will increase to 11%. This means that the crisis in European countries will last two years or more. The growth of cheap labor due to citizens coming to work from African, Asian regions and CIS countries, as well as job cuts in all sectors, only contribute to rising unemployment. As a worst-case scenario, residents of capitals may sell souvenirs, and to find a new job, the unemployed sometimes have no choice, and even with a certain specialty, nothing better than a courier service is available.
In December 2008, Spain ranked first in the number of registered unemployed with a rate of 14.4%, followed by Latvia – 10.4%, Slovakia – 9.4%, Estonia – 9.2%, Hungary – 8.5%, Ireland – 8.2%, Lithuania – 8.0%, Portugal – 7.9%, Germany – 7.2%, Belgium – 7.1%.
In spring 2009, representatives of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that the economic level of the thirty countries belonging to this organization would shrink by 4.3%.