The unemployment rate in June this year in both the eurozone and across all 27 member states remained at the same level as during the previous month. Average eurozone unemployment was 11.2 percent in June, unchanged from May, while for the EU 27 the rate remained 10.4 percent. In Romania, unemployment fell back slightly in June to 7.6 percent, from 7.7 percent in May.

The results for the EU 27 and the eurozone interrupt a long period of steadily rising unemployment, which has gone up from 10 percent in June 2011 to 11.2 percent in June this year in the eurozone and from 9.5 percent to 10.4 percent in the EU 27 for the same period.

Unemployment in Romania fell during 2011 and early 2012, reaching a low in February of 7.1 percent. Since then, unemployment has climbed, reaching 7.7 percent in May this year.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com