Euro zone jobless hits highest level since birth of euro

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone unemployment has risen to its highest level since the euro single currency was introduced, data showed on Tuesday, a day after EU leaders promised to focus on creating millions of new jobs to try to kickstart Europe's stagnating economy.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment among the 17 countries sharing the euro rose to 10.4 percent in December, on a par with an upwardly revised November figure, the European Union's statistics office Eurostat said.

It was the highest rate since June 1998, before the introduction of the euro in 1999, Eurostat said.
The figures showed another 20,000 people were out of work in December from the month before, taking the number of jobless to 16.5 million people across the euro zone. The rate steadily crept up through 2011 as growth stalled and recession loomed.

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