Unemployment in the eurozone, "unchanged in the second quarter"

The number of employees in the euro area remained stable in the second quarter of this year, compared with the first three months, and for all Member States has been a very slight increase of 0.1 percent in the number of existing jobs.

Data presented Friday by Eurostat is a first estimate for the second quarter and confirms the European leaders’ concerns about the extent of unemployment and the difficulty of reducing its rate.

The European leaders argue, for about a year, for the rapid implementation of measures aimed at creating jobs, given that one of the most serious problems is, in their view, the large number of unemployed youth.

In late July, the most recent period analyzed by the Statistical Office of the European Union, the unemployment rate within the euro area was over 11 percent.

Stable compared to the previous month, but with a rate higher than the rate recorded in July 2011.

In Spain, the unemployment among young people under 25 years is about 53 percent

One of the worst situations is in Spain, where a quarter of the working population has no job and the unemployment among young people under 25 years is about 53 percent.

Other countries from the euro area, Austria or the Netherlands, for example, have reduced rates below 6 percent, but, for the European leaders this is not a consolation.

According to European Council President’s view, Herman Van Rompuy, expressed last weekend at a conference, a political action is urgently needed.

"I don’t think there is something more important right now than job creation. Europeans want jobs.

"It is a sure source of income but also a place in society. The massive unemployment is a dramatic phenomenon in terms of personal, political and economic but also social point of view.

"Jobs are not an intermediate goal, but our main goal. European leaders urged in December the immediate action and proposed several measures to reduce the unemployment and to finance job creation," said Herman Van Rompuy.

Unions want concrete actions

"We want concrete actions" - said at the same conference the general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Bernadette Segol.

"Yes, we agree. We need to encourage the investment in sectors that have potential to create jobs.

"Yes, we equally agree that reducing youth unemployment is a priority, but we expect concrete proposals and no, not the social or pension plans measures block the economic growth, but the additional austerity, the budget cuts, the VAT increase and reduction the social benefits", said Bernadette Segol.

The European debate among political leaders from different countries, but also between social partners resumes the controversial issue of establishing the best solution.

Discipline and austerity or encourage the growth

Specifically, the European Commission proposes, regarding the unemployment, the direct funding measures such as apprenticeship programs, stimulation of small and medium enterprises and the allocation of money for programs that provide young people within four months of leaving school a place of employment.

A program of study or a training one

In June, the pact for growth and job creation marked the commitment of young Europeans, of making all measures.

"The amount made ​​available: 120 billion euros - too little", according to categorical critics of European policies, "a start," say the most lenient ones, "on one condition: the efficient use of money."

Currently, over 25 million Europeans don’t have a job.