Euro area unemployment rate increases to 12.2%

The Euro Area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.2% in April 2013, up from 12.1% in March. The European Union (EU27) unemployment rate was 11.0%, unchanged compared with the previous month. In both zones, rates have risen markedly compared with April 2012, when they were 11.2% and 10.3% respectively.

With Spain recording an annual increase from 24.4% to 26.8% the country remains as having the second highest level of unemployment in the EU27. Greece remains in first position with an increase from 21,9% to 27.0% and Portugal comes in third recording an annual increase from 15.4% to 17.8%.

In April 2013, 5.627 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU27, of whom 3.624 million were in the euro area. Compared with April 2012, youth unemployment rose by 100 000 in theEU27 and by 188 000 in the euro area. In percentage terms, the youth unemployment rate was 23.5% in the EU27 and 24.4% in the euro area, compared with 22.6% in both zones in April 2012. The highest youth unemployment was in Greece (62.5% in February 2013), Spain (56.4%), Portugal (42.5%) and Italy (40.5%).

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Youth unemployment in the European Union increases to 23.7% in November 2012

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union has today published the unemployment figures for November 2012.

For the EU area as a whole the unemployment rate was 11.8% the same as in October 2012 but an increase from 10.0% in November 2011. For the seventeen countries in the Euro Area there was an increase of 0.1% taking the rate to 11.8% in contrast to 2011 when the rate was 10.6%.

Spain continues to have the highest level of overall unemployment at 26.6%, with Greece coming a close second with 26.0% and Portugal third at 16.3%.

Looking at those people under 25 years of age; in the EU youth unemployment stood at 23.7% whereas in the Euro Area this had increased to 24.4%. In the case of Greece and Spain the rates were reported at over twice the average for the EA coming in at 57.6% and 56.5% respectively. Almost 6 out of 10 of those under 25 years old are unemployed.

Read the full report: 3-08012013-BP-EN.PDF (application/pdf Object)

Euro area unemployment rate at 11.1% for May 2012

The Euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.1% in May 2012, compared with 11.0% in April4. It was 10.0% in May 2011. The EU27 (European Union) unemployment rate was 10.3% in May 2012, compared with 10.2% in April. It was 9.5% in May 2011.

Spain with a figure of 24.6% continues to be the country with the highest rate of unemployment. In the case of the youth (under 25s) of the country it is over double that rate at 52.1%.

Read more detail from Eurostat: 3-02072012-AP-EN.PDF (application/pdf Object)

Spain has the highest March unemployment level in the European Union!

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union has today published the seasonally adjusted unemployment figures for the month of March for the Euro Area 17 countries and the European Union 27 as a whole.

For the EA 17 countries the figure is 9.9% and for the EU 27 it is 9.5%.

In the case of Spain the figure is 20.7%. This is the highest rate of unemployment in the EU 27 countries. Compared with March 2010 this is an increase of 1.1% over the year on year figures. When looking at the last three months there has been an increase of 0.1% for each month eliminating the reductions seen in the last two months of 2010.

Whilst these figures are alarming they pale a little compared with those for the under 25 year old´s, in Spain where we see a staggering level of 44.6%, the highest level in the EU27. This is a 4.2% increase in the year and includes an upward movement of 0.3% per month over the last three months. For the EU27 we see an average of 20.7% which is a decrease of 0.4%.

For men we see an increase from 19.4% in March 2010 to a current figure of 20.1%, whilst for women the figures are 19.7% to 21.5%. For the EU27 we see the opposite situation with a decrease for men from 9.8% to 9.4% and for women a slight increase from 9.5% to 9.6%.

What effect will the release of these figures have on the way the Spanish electorate votes in the local elections on the 22^nd May?

Will the PSOE party be punished in the ballot box for these figures?

Eurostat

Euro given '20% chance of survival'

Is this pessimistic or reality given the economic state of Greece, Portugal and Spain. At what cost is Germany prepared to support the Euro?

Read more: Euro given '20% chance of survival' - CEBR | This is Money

Euro area unemployment rate at 10.1%

Today Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, has issued the unemployment figures for April for the European Union and the Euro Area.

The estimates are that 23.311 million men and women in the EU27 countries, were unemployed in April 2010 of these 15.860 million were in the Euro Area (16 countries). The number of unemployed increased by 25 000 in both the EU27 and the Euro Area compared from March 2010. The year on year comparison for the month shows an increase in unemployment of 2.400 million in the EU27 and by 1.275 million in the euro area.

Spain continues to show the second highest rate at 19.7%, second only to Latvia at 22.5%. In the April 2009 Spain had a figure of 17.7%, 2% lower than current. Since December 2009 the unemployment increase has been 0.7%, increasing by approximately 0.2% each month. The figures for the United Kingdom are not given for March or April so a direct comparison is not possible, but based on the trends from previous months the UK unemployment would seem to be a little less than 12% below that of Spain.

Youth (under 25) unemployment in the EU27 countries has remained static at 20.6% but for the Euro Area has increased by 0.1%, to 20.0%. Spain has seen a further increase of 0.2% to 40.3%, putting Spain as the highest in the EU27 countries.

Euro area annual inflation up to 1.4% - March 2010

Euro Area annual inflation was 1.4% in March 2010, up from 0.9% in February. A year earlier the rate was 0.6%. Monthly inflation was 0.9% in March 2010.

For the Eurpean Union area annual inflation was 1.9% in March 2010, up from 1.5% in February. A year earlier the rate was 1.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.7% in March 2010.

These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.