Unemployment in the euro zone remained stable in May as a hiring spree remained on course amid a strengthening economic recovery in Europe, EU figures showed today.
The Eurostat statistics agency said the jobless rate in the 19-nation euro zone remained at 9.3% in May.
This kept the unemployment rate at its lowest level since March 2009, though the rate rose slightly in trouble spots Italy and France.
During the worst of the debt crisis, unemployment in the single currency bloc peaked at 12.1% with 19.3 million people looking for work in April 2013.
The number of unemployed in May stood at just over 15 million, according to Eurostat.
The latest figure was on par with the 9.3% unemployment predicted by analysts compiled by Factset, a data company.
The rate was again lowest in Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, with 3.9% in May, while the second economy, France, saw joblessness edge up to 9.6%.
Greece remained the country with the most unemployed at 22.5% (according to March figures), followed by Spain with 17.7%.
Italy, with its economy shaken by recent banking failures, saw unemployment rise from 11.2% to 11.3%.
