Warnings of fragility as EU unemployment at record high

Eurozone unemployment is at a record high and consumer prices are being driven upward by volatile energy and food prices, data showed, underlining the fragility of the bloc’s economic health.

Joblessness in the bloc stood at a record 12.1% in May, with the number of people out of work rising further above 19m, according to Eurostat.

Government austerity programs across the continent have helped fuel the economic hardship and provoked widespread public discontent, especially with more than half of young people unemployed in Greece and Spain.