Brussels, 31/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Unemployment remained at 12% in the eurozone and fell slightly in the EU28 from 10.8% to 10.7% in the third quarter of 2013. Data for December published by the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, on Friday 31 January confirm that unemployment has stabilised at this record high level.
December 2013 was stable in most EU member states, the only exceptions being Spain, where the number of unemployed fell from 26.1% to 25.8% in a month, continuing a trend that started in September (when unemployment stood at 26.4%) and Lithuania where unemployment is yo-yoing and jumped to 11.4% in December.
In December 2013, youth unemployment fell slightly in the eurozone from 24% to 23.8% and from 23.4% to 23.2% in the EU28. Nine member states were well outside the average. Youth unemployment fell in Spain by 0.9%, in Portugal by 0.3%, in Slovakia by 0.6% and in Sweden by 1.4%. Youth unemployment rose sharply in Belgium (+0.3%), Bulgaria (+0.6%), Lithuania (+0.3%), Luxembourg (+0.4%) and Malta (+0.6%). (JK/transl.fl)