European unemployment continues to surge

[June 02, 2009]  BRUSSELS (AP) -- The jobless rate in the 16 nations that use the euro surged to 9.2 percent in April, the highest level in almost a decade, the EU statistics office says.

The euro-zone jobless rate has reached its highest level since Sep. 1999, with Spain standing out with a 18.1 percent rate.

Unemployment across all 27 EU countries rose to 8.6 percent in April from 8.4 percent in March. Some 20.8 million people are now seeking work in the EU, Eurostat said Tuesday -- 4.65 million more than April 2008.

[Associated Press]

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