31 July 2013
More light at the end of the tunnel for the eurozone emerged today after the region’s first drop in unemployment for over two years.
Offiicial figures showed the number of unemployed across the 17 member single-currency bloc fell 24,000 to 19.27 million in June — breaking a run of rising jobless totals since April 2011.
The figures showed falling unemployment in struggling Spain and Italy although France suffered rising dole queues. The jobless rate remains at 12.1% — a euro-era high.
The region is expected to emerge from its 18 month-long recession in the second half of the year.
