The unemployment rate across the eurozone hit a new all-time high of 11.8{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in November, official figures have shown.  This is a slight rise on 11.7{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} for the 17-nation region in October. The rate for the European Union as a whole in November was unchanged at 10.7{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}.   Spain, which is mired in deep recession, again recorded the highest unemployment rate, coming in at 26.6{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}.   More than 26 million people are now unemployed across the EU.

The youth unemployment rate was 24.4{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in the eurozone, and 23.7{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in the wider European Union. Youth unemployment – among people under 25 – was highest in Greece (57.6{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}), followed by Spain (56.5{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}).

Overall unemployment was lowest in Austria (4.5{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}), Luxembourg (5.1{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}) and Germany (5.4{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}).

Despite Spain having the highest overall unemployment, recent figures from Spain’s Labour Ministry suggest that the number of people registered as out of work in the country – a narrower measure than the Eurostat figures – fell in December.