Unemployment rate in Europe rises

The overall unemployment rate in the EU27 countries was 9.9% in December 2011, unchanged on November last year, but up from 9.5% in December 2010.

The figures from Eurostat also show that for the 17 countries in the euro area the unemployment rate was higher in December at 10.4%, but also unchanged on November. It was 9.5% in December 2010.

Eurostat estimates that 23.8 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 16.5 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in December 2011.

Compared with November 2011, the number of persons unemployed increased by 24,000 in the EU27 and by 20,000 in the euro area. Compared with December 2010, unemployment rose by 923,000 in the EU27 and by 751,000 in the euro area.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.1%) and the Netherlands (4.9%). The highest rates were in Spain (22.9%) and Greece (19.2% in October 2011).

Youth unemployment rates were very high in Spain (48.7%) and Greece (47.2% in October 2011). The overall youth rate for the EU27 was 22.1%.

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/3-31012012-AP/EN/3-31012012-AP-EN.PDF