Unemployment down by 0.3 in 4th quarter in Euro Area

The number of persons employed decreased by 0.3% in the euro area (EA17) and by 0.2% in the EU272

in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2012, employment decreased by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell by 0.8% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU27 in the fourth quarter of 2012 (after -0.6% and -0.4% respectively in the third quarter of 2012). Over the whole year 2012, employment decreased by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU27, compared with +0.3% in both zones in 2011.

Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2012, 222.6 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 145.7 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

Source: Eurostat