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People queue to enter on an unemployment office in Madrid, Spain Daniel Ochoa De Olza/AP/Press Association Images

Record breaker: Eurozone unemployment now at 12.1 per cent

Over 19 million people are unemployed in the eurozone but Ireland has recorded one of the largest year-on-year decreases in unemployment rates.

EUROZONE UNEMPLOYMENT HAS broken another record today with figures for March showing that the rate is now 12.1 per cent, up 0.1 percentage point from February.

Figures from the EU’s statistics agency, Eurostat, show that the unemployment rate for the 27-member European Union was 10.9 per cent in March, stable compared to February.

This means that 26.5 million are unemployed in the EU including 19.2 million within the eurozone.

But both the eurozone – which accounts for the 17 members whose currency is the euro, including Ireland – and the EU show unemployment rates which have risen markedly since March 2012 when they were 11 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively.

One of the highest unemployment rates is in Spain where over a quarter of the workforce are unemployed – 26.7 per cent – while the lowest is in Austria where just 4.7 per cent are unemployed.

Compared to 12 months ago the unemployment rate increased in 19 EU member states and fell in eight.

The highest increase was recorded in Greece – 21.5 per cent to 27.2 per cent – while Ireland is among the nations to show the largest decrease from 15 per cent to 14.1 per cent.

Eurostat figures put Ireland’s unemployment rate at 14.1 per cent. Live Register numbers published earlier this month showed that Ireland’s unemployment rate was 14 per cent with 2,200 fewer people signing on in March.

The Central Statistics Office is due to publish Live Register figures for April tomorrow morning.

This Eurostat graph maps out the rates of unemployment in all 27 countries (Click here if you are having trouble seeing this image):

Read: Spain’s unemployment rate shoots to record 27.16%

Read: Numbers on Live Register down by 2,200 in March

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26 Comments
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    Mute 087 bed
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:27 PM

    I fell for the Simon Harris is being madeTaoiseach one.

    647
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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Apr 1st 2024, 5:21 PM

    @087 bed: it’s called democracy

    78
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    Mute Injustice Cop
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    Apr 1st 2024, 5:45 PM

    @Pat Hazzard: Actually, it is not some people’s definition of democracy since he wasn’t voted in by the electorate, akin to Sunak in the UK.

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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:00 PM

    @Injustice Cop: no Taoiseach has ever been voted in by the electorate. We vote for TDs and a majority of them then vote in a Taoiseach.

    103
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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:49 PM

    @Injustice Cop: No Taoiseach is ever voted in by the electorate.

    62
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    Mute David Murray
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:52 PM

    @Pat Hazzard: Just to remind you this is the third Taoiseach of this Goverment. Maybe it’s Time to change the rules .

    63
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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2024, 7:05 PM

    @David Murray: You mean a referendum to alter the constitution.

    48
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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 1:21 AM

    @David Murray: so? It’s not unusual for parties to change leader, plus new leader has to go before Dail to be voted in as Taoiseach.

    15
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    Mute Lewis Armstrong
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    Apr 1st 2024, 4:01 PM

    I thought I had beaten my record for lasting in the bedroom with the missus as I had been at her for an hour and two minutes. Unfortunately, I only realised afterwards that the clock went forward an hour in the course of breaking my record

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    Mute Clare Power
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    Apr 1st 2024, 4:26 PM

    @Lewis Armstrong: You could have kept that thought in your head!

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Apr 1st 2024, 5:03 PM

    @Lewis Armstrong: If you were any good,she would have asked for ‘seconds’

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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Apr 1st 2024, 8:51 PM

    @Lewis Armstrong: ‘I had been at her’. Christ above. How some Irish men convince anyone to marry them is one of life’s great mysteries!

    70
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    Mute Finn Barr
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:47 PM

    No. Although some prankster tried to tell me that from today, you could be investigated by the cops in Scotland for hurting someone’s feelings.
    Needless to say, I told him in no uncertain terms that Scotland is one of the most progressive countries in the world, not an authoritarian kip like communist North Korea, and sent him off with his tail between his legs

    201
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    Mute Dale Voinz
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:49 PM

    @Finn Barr: you absolute mad man :)

    67
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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Apr 1st 2024, 3:25 PM

    @Finn Barr: You learned him!!!!!!!!!!

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    Mute Clare Power
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    Apr 1st 2024, 4:25 PM

    @Finn Barr: That’s great..heading there now, but not with the intention of hurting anyone lol

    16
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    Mute Thom Thumb
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:33 PM

    YES , YES AND YES
    I actually took some of the comments on The Journal seriously. Silly me

    119
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    Mute Clare Power
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    Apr 1st 2024, 4:27 PM

    @Thom Thumb: Look who crawled out of his corner

    22
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    Mute Malachy Cox
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:49 PM

    https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41364856.html

    This one about water restrictions in West Cork…. What an absolute joke and it’s pissing rain for months.

    96
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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 1st 2024, 3:09 PM

    @Malachy Cox: You’re right. The field behind us is so saturated that I’m afraid to chase the dog across it

    I swear if we lived in a desert, our government would find a way to run out of sand!

    Years ago, loads of people had rain barrels for gardens etc. Where’s their product range of domestic water conservation items, I ask?

    91
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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2024, 5:07 PM

    @F Fitzgerald: You want the government to sell water butts?

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    Mute hans vos
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 8:18 AM

    @F Fitzgerald: Get a Seal instead of a dog.

    4
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    Mute Gerry Kelly
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    Apr 1st 2024, 3:57 PM

    Today is actually my birthday
    Which I used to dread back in primary school but now it’s grand because at least it’s a date people remember
    Fellow April Fools Dayers include Rachmaninov Bismarck Ali McGraw & Robbie Williams
    Just bear in mind you can’t say “April Fools Day’s any more because it’s deeply traumatising.
    Not least to April……

    77
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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:37 PM

    @Gerry Kelly: kid brother missed the April 1st my minute’s, he was born seconds into the 2nd. Years ago I got him up for school, he and many others turned up to closed school gates

    20
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    Mute robrot 64
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    Apr 1st 2024, 7:15 PM

    House Prices = JOKE
    HSE A&E = JOKE
    Politicians unpaid Bar Bills = JOKE
    Awarding Gov contracts to Gov€Donors =JOKE
    TUSLA childcare =JOKE
    OH YES Politicians Are Making A Right APRIL FOOL of Irish Citizens.

    79
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    Mute hans vos
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 8:23 AM

    @robrot 64: And not only on the first of April but the whole year.

    9
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    Mute IMHO
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:37 PM

    I’m disappointed that The Journal doesn’t appear to have anyone with the wit or courage to write an Apri Fool ‘s spoof of it’s own this year
    Don’t tell me you’re worried that it might offend somebody….

    56
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    Mute ken bogan
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    Apr 1st 2024, 9:00 PM

    My young lad (13) came running into the kitchen with a disgusted look on his face. He said that he read on the internet that Cadburys were changing the Curly Wurly and renaming it the Straighty Waighty. That g*bshite will not be picking my Nursing Home

    69
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    Mute Solar Luna
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:34 PM

    There was a video on TicTok of a child building a wall of bolt nuts for the camera. He seemed to have servere ADHD / learning difficulties. It was child abuse with people putting a digital cap on him or a cowboy hat, this was making him go crazy trying to remove this digital cap, he was crying, going crazy, red eyelids and was disturbingly upset. It shocked me to see it, I did wonder if it was an April 1st thing but no way, as the tears and upset was real with about under 400 people watching it, it was vile and disturbing. I just reported it twice as child abuse, it made me feel ill and annoyed. It was too real to be an April 1st joke. Pure sick people out there now.

    34
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    Mute Dale Voinz
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:54 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: I’m speaking solely of those within homeless accommodation

    16
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Apr 1st 2024, 2:56 PM

    @Dale Voinz: Your comment was deleted anyway, presumably for being wildly off topic.

    48
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    Mute Patrice Ahern
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    Apr 1st 2024, 7:27 PM

    The thugs in Derry/Londonderry are at it again! What is the point. Let’s damage everyone and bring them/us all down to the level of the numbskulls.

    21
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    Mute Spanner
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    Apr 1st 2024, 6:51 PM

    I fell for the good news story from revenue justifying the v.a.t. increase. Apparently, consumers saved €1.5 billion in 2 years. That’s 3 million vehicles (insurance advert number of cars the gardai have details for) and comes to about €4.80 a week or the increased cost for the luxury of 2 or 3 coffees a week.
    (1,500,000,000÷3,000,000÷2÷52)

    10
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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 6:23 AM

    My girlfriend convinced me to move into a fifth floor apartment today with no lift. She got me good

    7
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    Mute Áine G
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    Apr 1st 2024, 8:41 PM

    What comments. Laughing.

    6
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    Mute Kevin Daly
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 8:25 AM

    Nope Just like every other Irish Holiday it’s Dying out. Halloween there was feck all out in my estate. Christmas people had feck all decorations. It’s ridiculous that we don’t have any sort of spirit anymore. I blame the government and this generation tbh

    2
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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 2nd 2024, 12:09 PM

    @Kevin Daly: I had a great Hallowe’en and had loads of people in costumes at the door. You need to decorate and give out chocolate bars and stickers, not be grumpy! People aren’t lighting their whole estate up with Christmas lights, because of electricity prices. Switch to LEDs.

    5
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