Euro area unemployment rate at 12.1% in July

The euro area1 (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.1% in July 2013, stable compared with June. The EU28 unemployment rate was 11.0%, also stable compared with June. In both zones, rates have risen compared with July 2012, when they were 11.5% and 10.5% respectively. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat estimates that 26.654 million men and women in the EU28, of whom 19.231 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in July 2013. Compared with June 2013, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 33 000 in the EU28 and by 15 000 in the euro area. Compared with July 2012, unemployment rose by 995 000 in the EU28 and by 1.008 million in the euro area.

Member States

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.8%), Germany (5.3%)and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (27.6% in May 2013) and Spain (26.3%).

Compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in seventeen Member States and fell in eleven. The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (12.2% to 17.3%), Greece (23.8% to 27.6% between May 2012 and May 2013), Slovenia (9.3% to 11.2%) and the Netherlands (5.3% to 7.0%). The largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.7% to 11.5% between the second quarters of 2012 and 2013) and Estonia (10.1% to 7.9% between June 2012 and June 2013).

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

 via Euro area unemployment rate at 12.1% EU28 at 11.0%