Euro zone unemployment inched up in October, leaving another 80,000 out of work across the currency area, while inflation in November was unchanged, offering no hint of pressure for tighter monetary policy.
Unemployment hit 10.1% from a downward-revised 10% in September as it rose in Italy, inched down in France and held stable in Germany and Spain.
EU statistics office Eurostat said the number of people without a job rose by 80,000 to 15.95 million people. In the whole European Union of 27 countries it was up by 84,000 people to 23.15 million.
EU statistics office Eurostat also said in a flash estimate that consumer prices in the euro zone rose 1.9% year-on-year in November, the same figure as in October and in line with forecasts by analysts.
With current inflation in line with the ECB's target of below, but close to 2% and economic recovery still fragile, analysts expect the bank to keep its main interest rates at its historic low of 1% well into 2011.
Analysts say the ECB's meeting this week may slow its exit from crisis measures, acknowledging the threat a sovereign debt crisis poses to European growth and the need to help avoid it spreading further.
The rise in the jobless figure was mainly due to an increase in unemployment in the third biggest economy Italy, to 8.6% from 8.3%. France, the second biggest economy, saw the jobless rate fall to 9.8% from 9.9%.
In Spain, where jobs have been hit especially hard by the recent economic crisis, unemployment remained unchanged at 20.7%. Unemployment held stable in euro zone powerhouse Germany at 6.7%.
The European Commission forecast yesterday that the euro zone economy will expand by 1.7% this year and growth will slow to 1.5% in 2011. But growth could be hit by tensions on euro zone debt markets triggered by fiscal problems in Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
