Malta recorded the biggest drop in unemployment and had the fourth lowest rate in the EU for December, according to figures released in Brussels.

The island’s jobless rate dropped from 7.3 per cent in December 2009 to 6.2 per cent last December, a reduction only matched by Sweden (8.9 to 7.8 per cent).

Strong performances were registered by Germany (7.4 to 6.6 per cent) and Finland (8.8 to 8.1 per cent).

The Netherlands (4.3 per cent), Luxembourg (4.9 per cent) and Austria (five per cent) posted the lowest rates of people on the dole while Spain (20.2 per cent), Lithuania and Latvia (both 18.3 per cent) had the highest. Lithuania’s unemployment rate rose from 14.3 to 18.3 per cent during the 12-month period.

Other countries with poor records included Greece (9.7 to 12.9 per cent), Bulgaria (8.6 to 10.1 per cent) and Slovenia (6.4 to 7.8 per cent).

In Malta, both male and female unemployment rates stood at 6.2 per cent in December. Average youth unemployment in the EU stood at an alarming 20.4 per cent while in Malta it was nearly half that amount.

Eurostat estimates that more than 23 million men and women across the EU were unemployed in December, of whom 15.7 million were in the euro area.