Eurozone jobless rate stays at record 12.1%

Eurozone unemployment held at a record in November as policymakers struggled to bolster the recovery from its longest recession. The jobless rate remained at 12.1%, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said.

After several revisions of previous months’ data, unemployment has been stable at that level since April.

While unemployment remains resistant to policy makers’ attempts to boost the economy, positive signs are gradually accumulating. Separate data showed eurozone retail sales and German factory orders rose more than forecast in November, while data today may show economic confidence in the currency bloc improved in December.