LONDON, May 31. The number of unemployed in the euro area has not changed in April from the previous month and remained at its lowest level in six years. This is evidenced by data released on Tuesday, the EU statistical agency Eurostat.According to the data, the unemployment rate in the 17 eurozone countries in April was 9.9% in February and March. He remains the lowest since September 2009. A decline compared to April 2010, when unemployment reached 10.2%.
Despite the constant level of unemployment in the euro area, which corresponded to the forecast of economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires last week, there are still differences between stronger and weaker economies in the region.
Although unemployment has declined in the largest leading economies such as Germany, France and Italy, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, the situation has not improved. These countries, which remain among the highest unemployment rates in the region are at the heart of the crisis of sovereign debt. Data on unemployment in April for burdened with debt of Greece are not yet available.
Discrepancy appears to be increasing. According to recent data presented Tuesday in Germany, the unemployment rate in May was at its lowest level since the beginning of such statistics in 1999.
April Eurostat data indicate that the highest unemployment rate, 20.7%, was observed in Spain. The unemployment rate in Portugal was 12.6%. The indicator for Portugal has not changed from the previous month after a review in March upwards to 12,6% from 11,1%.
