The line graph shows the proportion of unemployed workers in the European union with the percentage in the three categories: professional, manual and Self-employed workers between 1990 and 1999.
Overall, manual workers experienced the most dramatic rise during the first half of the period, reaching a peak in 1994 before declining sharply. Meanwhile, the figures for self-employed and all workers increased substantially overall, whereas professional workers consistently recorded the lowest unemployment rate.
In 1990, the manual workers group represented the largest percentage at approximately 7%. This proportion rose to a peak of 15% in 1994, before declining to around 8% in 1996 and started to an increase again 9.5% in 1999.
Conversely, the two self-employed and all workers groups indicated similar pattern. In 1991, both categories showed slight increase, by 1992, their figures declined from 6% and 5% to 5% and 4% respectively, from 1993, the percentages began to increase dramatically, and in 1995 both groups had overtaken manual workers which had previously recorded the highest score. In 1997, the two groups proportions reached about 12%, by 1999, self-employed category remained stable at 12% and becoming with the highest proportion of unemployment rates in Europe whereas, all workers group decreased substantially to 10%.
In contrast, the professional workers category had the lowest unemployment rate with 2% across the other three groups in initial years. However, from 1993, the rates began to increase gradually, and in 1997, it reached around 6% and it then fell slightly, returning to approximately 2% by 1999.