Eurozone Employment Falls For Third Quarter

Employment in the euro area decreased for the third consecutive quarter in the first quarter, amid the deepening economic slowdown in the region, data released by statistical office Eurostat showed Friday.

The number of persons in employment in the single-currency bloc decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent sequentially in the first quarter, after falling 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter, which was revised up from 0.2 percent. Employment decreased for the third consecutive quarter.

In the EU27, employment remained unchanged quarter-over-quarter, after edging down 0.1 percent in the previous quarter.

The number of employees in the UK private sector, meanwhile, rose 0.4 percent sequentially, while employment in Germany increased 0.5 percent during the quarter. Employment in France was unchanged from the fourth quarter, while in Italy it dropped 0.6 percent, data showed.

On an annual basis, the number of employees in the whole of Eurozone decreased 0.5 percent during the three-month period, faster than the 0.2 percent decline seen in the fourth quarter.