UNEMPLOYMENT : JOBLESS RATE REMAINS STEADY IN EU.

• Position: Brief article

The eurozone seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 11.7% in December 2012, stable compared with November. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.7%, also stable compared with November. Rates have risen markedly in both zones compared with December 2011, when they were 10.7% and 10%, respectively, reported Eurostat, on 1 February.

According to Eurostat's estimates, 25.926 million men and women were unemployed in the EU27 in December 2012.

The lowest unemployment rates were observed in Austria (4.3%), Germany and Luxembourg (both 5.3%) and the Netherlands (5.8%), and the highest in Greece (26.8% in October 2012) and Spain (26.1%).

The largest decreases compared with a year ago were registered in Estonia (12.1% to 9.9% between November 2011 and November 2012), Latvia (15.7% to 14.1% between the third quarters of 2011 and 2012) and Lithuania (13.7% to 12.3%). The highest increases were registered in Greece (19.7% to 26.8% between October...