In December 2012, 5.702 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU27, of whom 3.624 million were in the euro area . Compared with December 2011, youth unemployment rose by 237 000 in the EU27 and by 303 000 in the euro area . In December 2012, the youth unemployment rate was 23.4% in the EU27 and 24.0% in the euro area , compared with 22.2% and 21.7% respectively in December 2011. In December 2012 the lowest rates were observed in Germany (8.0%), Austria (8.5%) and the Netherlands (10.0%), and the highest in Greece
(57.6% in October 2012) and Spain (55.6%).
With regards to the overall unemployment rate, in the euro area (EA17), the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.7% in December 2012. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.7%. In both zones, rates have risen markedly compared with December 2011, when they were 10.7% and 10.0% respectively.
