The graph below shows the unemployment rates in nine countries in 1994 and 2004. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph compares the percentage of the workforce without a job in nine countries in 1994 and again in 2004.

Overall

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, unemployment fell in the majority of these nations over the decade, with the sharpest improvements in Spain and Ireland. Germany and Japan,

by contrast

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, were the only two where the figure rose,

while

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France remained almost unchanged. In 1994, Spain had by far the highest

rate

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, at roughly 24 per cent, followed by Ireland at 14 and France at 12. By 2004,

however

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, the Spanish

rate

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had been cut nearly in half to about 11 per cent, and the Irish

rate

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had dropped even more dramatically to just 4per cent, the lowest of all nine. France, meanwhile, dipped only slightly to around 10 and

consequently

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became the country with the worst record by the end of the period. The remaining nations started from lower levels. Canada, Australia and the UK all stood between 9 and 11 in 1994 , and each declined to between 5 and 7 a decade later,

whereas

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the United States slipped from 6 to 5. Germany and Japan followed the opposite trend. German unemployment climbed from 8 to nearly 10, and the Japanese

rate

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,

although

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still the second lowest, rose from under 3 to just under 5, meaning that it had virtually doubled.