Eurozone jobless figures show drop

Unemployment across the 17 country eurozone fell by 24,000 in June to 19.27 million, the first fall since April 2011, adding to the weight of recent evidence that suggests its recession is about to come to an end.

The eurozone economy has been shrinking since the last quarter of 2011 as a raging debt crisis prompted many countries to pursue tough austerity policies that weighed on economic activity and confidence.