UNEMPLOYMENT : JOBLESS RATE DOWN SLIGHTLY IN EU.

• Position: Brief article

The eurozone seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 12% in December 2013, stable since October (it was 11.9% in December 2012). The EU28 unemployment rate was 10.7% in December 2013, down from 10.8% in November (also 10.8% in December), according to figures released by Eurostat, on 31 January.

In December 2013, 26.200 million men and women were jobless in the EU28, 19.010 million of whom in the eurozone.

The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.9%), Germany (5.1%) and Luxembourg (6.2%), and the highest in Greece (27.8% in October 2013) and Spain (25.8%).

Compared with a year ago, the highest increases were registered in Cyprus (13.9% to 17.5%), Greece (26.1% to 27.8% between October 2012 and October 2013), the Netherlands (5.8% to 7%) and Italy (11.5% to 12.7%) The largest decreases were observed in Ireland (14% to 12.1%), Latvia (14% to 12.1% between the third quarters of 2012 and 2013)...