Employment drops in Europe

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BRUSSELS, March 14 (UPI) -- Employment in the eurozone fell 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 from the third quarter, Eurostat said Thursday.

The data office for the European Commission said employment fell most in agriculture, forestry and fishing, with the number of jobs down 1.2 percent in the eurozone and 0.8 percent in the 27-member European Union.

Jobs in industry, including mining, manufacturing and utilities, fell by 0.6 percent in both regions. Out of that group, manufacturing jobs also fell 0.6 percent in both regions.

The largest gains were in service jobs. Information and communication jobs rose 1.3 percent in both regions. Jobs in real estate activities rose 1.3 percent in the eurozone and 1.7 percent in the EU.

Construction jobs dropped 1.4 percent in the currency region and 1.1 percent quarter to quarter in the broader EU.

Eurostat said 222.6 million men and women were employed in the EU in the fourth, with 145.7 million of those in the eurozone.

The unemployment rate, released in a separate report, is 11.9 percent in the eurozone and 10.8 percent in the EU.