IBT:Eurozone Unemployment Falls for First Time in Over 2 Years
The number of jobless people in the eurozone declined for the first time in more than two and a half years but still remains at a record high.
According to official data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU), the number of unemployed people in the 17-nation region decreased by 24,000 in June to 19.3 million from the previous month. This is the first decline since April 2011.
In the larger 27-nation EU, the jobless rate also declined to 10.9%, from 11.0% in May. This was the first fall in the rate since January 2011.
"Unemployment figures remain horrendously high," said a spokesman for the European Commission.
