The European Union (EU) employment rate remained stable throughout the month of July, new figures released by Eurostat, the body's statistical office, have revealed.

According to the data, the seasonally-adjusted level of those out of work throughout the area stood at 10 per cent, which was unchanged when compared with the previous month.

Meanwhile, in July 2010, the figure stood at a marginally lower 9.7 per cent.

Compared with the same time 12 months ago, the unemployment rate fell in 16 of the EU's member states, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

However, the proportion of the population out of work rose in eleven countries, among those Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia.

Similarly, Eurostat's figures for the month of June revealed unemployment figures were also unchanged when compared with May, when they stood at a level of 9.9 per cent.

Some 9.5 per cent of the EU's population as a whole is currently out of work.

Posted by Alex Donnell