By PAN PYLAS
AP Business WriterMonday, April 2, 2012
LONDON — Unemployment in the 17 countries that use the euro hit its highest level since the currency was introduced in 1999, official figures showed Monday, adding to fears that the region is in a recession.
Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, said unemployment in the eurozone rose to 10.8 percent in February from 10.7 percent in January. The number of unemployed totaled 17.1 million, nearly 1.5 million higher than during the same month a year ago. Of the 17 countries in the eurozone, seven countries had unemployment rates of at least 10 percent.
The figures stand in marked contrast to the situation in United States — with an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent — which has recorded solid increases in the number of people finding work over the past few months.
The eighth straight month of ...