Unemployment in the euro zone stood at its lowest recorded level in July, at 6.6% of the active population, the EU statistics agency said today.
The proportion of job hunters in the single currency bloc was reported at the same level in April, May and June, but Eurostat has since revised its figures slightly.
Euro zone unemployment has fallen from 7.7% a year ago, with an estimated 12.96 million out of work in the full 27-nation EU.
In the EU as a whole, including countries that have not adopted the euro, June unemployment stood at 6%, also a slight drop after a revision.
Youth unemployment, job seekers under 25, ticked down slightly between June and July, to 14% in the EU and 14.2% in the euro zone.