The unemployment rate across the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development fell to 7.1 percent in December from 7.2 percent in November.
In the euro area, the jobless rate slid marginally to 11.4 percent from 11.5 percent in November. The unemployment rate in the United States declined to 5.6 percent from 5.8 percent.
The rate came in at 3.4 percent in Japan in December compared to 3.5 percent in November.
Across the OECD area, 43 million people were unemployed in December, about 6.7 million less than the peak reported in April 2010, but still 8.6 million more than in July 2008.
The youth unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point to 14.6 percent in December. The unemployment remained exceptionally high in several euro area countries such as Greece, Italy and Portugal.
In 2014, the jobless rate across the OECD area decreased to 7.3 percent from 7.9 percent in 2013.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.