The jobless rate fell marginally in February when compared to January, Eurostat figures showed yesterday.

Unemployment in February stood at 6.6 per cent, down by a fraction from January’s 6.7 per cent.

Despite the fall, the figure is half a percentage point higher than it was 12 months ago, when 6.1 per cent of the population was looking for work.

The upward move was reflected in other EU member States, with unemployment across the 27-member bloc averaging at 10.9 per cent compared with 10.2 per cent a year ago.

Eurozone economies have fared even worse. In February 2011, 10.9 per cent of people there were registered as unemployed. Now, the figure stands at 12 per cent. The jobless in the USA totals 7.7 per cent and 4.2 per cent in Japan.

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