UNEMPLOYMENT : EUROZONE JOBLESS RATE HITS NEW RECORD AT 11.8%.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment in the eurozone reached 11.8% in November 2012 - a new record - , a slight increase from its 11.7% rate in October. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.7% in November 2012, stable compared with October. In both zones, rates were markedly higher than in November 2011, when they were 10.6% and 10%, respectively, Eurostat reported on 8 January. According to the estimates, 26.061 million men and women in the EU27 were jobless in November 2012.

Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.5%), Luxembourg (5.1%), Germany (5.4%) and the Netherlands (5.6%), and the highest in Spain (26.6%) and Greece (26% in September 2012).

Compared with a year ago, the jobless rate rose in 18 member states, fell in seven and remained stable in Denmark and Hungary. The largest decreases were observed in Estonia (12.1% to 9.5% between October 2011 and October 2012), Latvia (15.7% to...