DHAKA: Eurozone unemployment fell for the first time in two and a half years this summer, but with 19 million people jobless analysts say the labour market remains the weak link in recovery.

In a fresh sign of tentative redress from the eurozone crisis, official data showed unemployment dropping to 12 percent in July and August, against 12.2 percent in June, the first if albeit timid fall since early 2011.

A separate indicator meanwhile showed eurozone manufacturing activity growing for the third month running in September, but a slight slowdown underlined that recovery remains uncertain.

With the exception of France and Greece, which both contracted, every country surveyed by Markit Economics for their Purchasing Managers’ Index showed expansion, with the Netherlands at a two and a half year high, followed by Ireland and Germany.

BDST: 1939 HRS, OCT 01, 2013
RoR/GCP