Euro area jobless remains steady at 9.9 per cent
03 Mar 2010
The euro area unemployment rate remains steady at 9.9 per cent in January 2010, defying expectations of further labour market deterioration, the statistical office of the European Union said yesterday.
It was the same in December 2009, and 8.5 per cent in January 2009.
Meanwhile, the EU27 jobless rate was 9.5 per cent in January 2010, unchanged compared with December 2009, the Eurostat said. It was 8.0 per cent in January 2009.
Eurostat estimates that 22.979 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 15.683 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in January 2010.
Compared with December 2009, the number of persons unemployed increased by 136 000 in the EU27 and by 38 000 in the euro area.
Compared with January 2009, unemployment went up by 3.802 million in the EU27 and by 2.204 million in the euro area.