The unemployment rate in the 19-member euro area continued to rise in July, a month marked by some relaxation of COVID-19 containment measures in many members of the European Union (EU), showed the figures released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, on Tuesday.
The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 7.9 per cent in July, up from 7.7 per cent in the previous month, reports Xinhua citing the Eurostat.
The unemployment rate in the whole EU area was 7.2 per cent in July, higher than 7.1 per cent in June, it added.
Among some 15.2 million unemployed in the EU, 2.9 million were aged under 25. The youth unemployment rate was 17 per cent in the EU and 17.3 per cent in the euro area, up from 16.9 per cent and 17.2 per cent respectively in June, showing continued deterioration of the employment situation.
Among EU member states, the lowest unemployment rates in July were recorded in the Czech Republic, at 2.7 per cent, followed by Poland, at 3.2 per cent.
The highest unemployment rates were observed in Spain, at 15.8 per cent, followed by Italy, at 9.7 per cent.