Data released by the European Union?s statistics office Monday said that the number of jobless increased in May, climbing to 12.1 percent across the bloc. May?s jobs report brings the number of people out of work above 19 million, a record high. The inflation rate also increased to 1.6 percent. The report also highlighted the stark differences in unemployment across the zone, with the rate in Germany falling to 5.3 percent while the rate in Italy and Spain experienced an increase.
See "Euro zone joblessness at record high, inflation up", Martin Santa and Robin Emmott, Reuters, June 30, 2013