Unemployment slightly down in Europe but still threatens bloc
The latest figures released by the European Union's statistical office show a slight drop in the bloc’s overall unemployment, but experts say the crisis is far from over, Press TV reports.
The latest data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, show that the overall unemployment rate decreased slightly in the one-month period from March to April.
However, there are still 23.5 million people without a job in the bloc, of whom 18 million live in the 19-member eurozone.
Seven years after the economic collapse in the EU, there are almost five million adults in the bloc under the age of 25 who are still searching for a job.
The European Commission has stressed the need for major structural reforms in the EU to tackle unemployment.
“The European Union Semester 2015 is focusing on the most essential reforms to help those left behind during the crisis back in the labor market. Our most pressing challenge is youth and long-term unemployment,” said Marianne Thyssen, the EU employment commissioner.
The latest statistics from the Eurostat also show that unemployment actually increased in six EU countries, including France, in the 12-month period from April last year to April this year.
Economists warn about long-term unemployment in member countries. They say that if a person is out of work for a long period, their skills become redundant and the individual becomes less employable.
“It’s like a car. If you let the car that is not used for a long time in your garage, in your storage, it doesn’t work like before but it doesn’t mean that it cannot be recovered to the full of their potential. But this is the responsibility of the government,” Andrea Maria Villotti told Press TV correspondent.
Unemployment continues to be a chronic problem in Europe, particularly in Greece and Spain.
Poverty, homelessness, suicide and depression are also other issues that continue to grow in almost every EU country.
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