Investing.com - The euro zone’s unemployment rate was unchanged in December, holding steady at the highest level since the inception of the euro, official data showed on Wednesday.
In a report, Eurostat said that the euro zone’s unemployment rate held steady at a seasonally adjusted 10.4% in December, broadly in line with expectations.
The jobless rate stood at 10.0% in December 2010.
According to the data, the number of unemployed people in the euro zone was 23.81 million in December, of whom 16.46 million were in the euro area.
Compared with November, the number of persons unemployed increased by 24,000 in the EU27 and by 20,000 in the euro area.
Among euro zone member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while Spain and Greece recorded the highest rates.
Following the release of the data, the euro held on to gains against the U.S. dollar, with EUR/USD gaining 0.35% to trade at 1.31904.
Meanwhile, European stock markets remained higher. The EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.95%, France’s CAC 40 climbed 1.1%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.9%, while London’s FTSE 100 added 0.65%.
In a report, Eurostat said that the euro zone’s unemployment rate held steady at a seasonally adjusted 10.4% in December, broadly in line with expectations.
The jobless rate stood at 10.0% in December 2010.
According to the data, the number of unemployed people in the euro zone was 23.81 million in December, of whom 16.46 million were in the euro area.
Compared with November, the number of persons unemployed increased by 24,000 in the EU27 and by 20,000 in the euro area.
Among euro zone member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while Spain and Greece recorded the highest rates.
Following the release of the data, the euro held on to gains against the U.S. dollar, with EUR/USD gaining 0.35% to trade at 1.31904.
Meanwhile, European stock markets remained higher. The EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.95%, France’s CAC 40 climbed 1.1%, Germany's DAX advanced 0.9%, while London’s FTSE 100 added 0.65%.