"歐元區失業率達新高"

受打擊最深的社會成員，是那些25歲以下的青年。

上週公佈的官方數據顯示，歐元區的失業率在四月份達到史上新高的12.2%。這數據比前一個月還高出0.1%。總計在歐元區17國有1,938萬人失業。更令人憂心的是，25歲以下青年的失業率達24.4%，約360萬人。

失業率最嚴重的國家是西班牙和希臘，他們的失業率分別達26.8%和27%。即使在歐元區第二大經濟體的法國，失業率最近也達紀錄高點，觀察員不認為情況會在近期改善。法國農業信貸銀行的費德里克度可捷說：「明年中前，我們不預期失業率會趨於平穩，且法國的情況仍惡化中。」

歐元區自成立14年多以來，被困在為期最長的經濟蕭條中，經濟合作暨發展組織（OECD）上週預期，該地區的受困經濟今年會下降0.6%。歐洲央行已經將利率下調以刺激經濟，但很多經濟學家說，還有很多工作是必須要做的。有些人認為，量化寬鬆可能才是繼續刺激經濟的方法。

(International) Eurozone Unemployment Rate Reaches Record Highs

The worst hit members of society are those aged under 25.

Official figures released last week show that the unemployment rate in the eurozone hit an all-time high of 12.2% in April. That figure was up 0.1% from the previous month. In total, there are 19.38 million people out of work across the 17-nation area. Most worryingly, unemployment among those aged under 25 stands at 24.4% or 3.6 million people.

The countries with the worst rates were Spain and Greece, whose unemployment figures stood at 26.8% and 27.0% respectively. Even in France, the eurozones second biggest economy, unemployment reached record levels recently, and observers dont expect the situation to improve anytime soon. Frederik Ducrozet from Credit Agricole said: We do not see a stabilization in unemployment before the middle of next year. The picture in France is still deteriorating.

The Eurozone is stuck in the longest recession it has known in its 14-year history, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) last week claimed that the regions troubled economy would shrink by 0.6% this year. The European Central Bank (ECB) has lowered interest rates to stimulate, but many economists say that more needs to be done. Some have suggested that quantitative easing might be the way forward.

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