The table compares unemployment rates in nine countries in 1994 and 2004.
Overall, unemployment rates in Poland, Germany, Australia and Japan showed an upward trend, while the remaining five countries saw declines. Ireland’s rate was the highest in 1994, but Poland overtook it to record the highest unemployment rate in 2004.
In 1994, Ireland had the highest rate, at 14.8%, but it declined sharply to 4.4% in 2004. Similarly, the UK’s rate decreased significantly from 9.5% to 4.7%, while Canada’s also dropped from 10.6% to 7.7%. Italy and the USA also recorded declines, with Italy’s rate falling from 11.8% to 8.4% and the USA’s from 7.2% to 5.4%.
On the other hand, Poland’s unemployment rate increased from 12.4% to 19%, the highest figure in 2004. Germany’s rate rose from 7% to 9.4%, while Japan’s increased from 2.7% to 4.7%. Finally, Australia’s rate edged up from 5% to 5.4%.
