Euro zone unemployment has risen to its highest level since before the euro was introduced, data showed today, a day after EU leaders promised to focus on creating millions of new jobs to try to kickstart Europe's floundering economy.
The euro zone just avoided recession in early 2012 but the region's debt crisis sapped the life out of the French and Italian economies and widened a split with paymaster Germany.
Joblessness in the euro zone rose to a new record high in May, pushed up by lay-offs in France, Spain and even stable Austria, as the 2-1/2 year debt crisis continued to eat away at the currency bloc's fragile economy.