Eurozone employment rose in fourth quarter

The number of employed people in the eurozone rose in the last quarter of 2010, as hiring increased in the agriculture and financial services sectors.

The employment rate in the region increased 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter last year compared with the previous quarter, the Eurostat said on Tuesday.

In the third quarter of 2010, the employment rate in the region remained flat from the previous quarter. Also, the fourth quarter rise in employment levels was 0.3 percent higher against the same quarter in 2009.

While the employment in agriculture rose by 0.5 percent in the region, the financial services sector hiring was up 0.3 percent. However, the number of employed people in the eurozone fell 0.5 percent to 144.8 million last year, following a decline of 1.8 percent in the previous year.

In Germany, where the manufacturing sector has been fuelling the eurozone's economic recovery, employment rose by 1 percent on a year-to-year basis, while in France it increased by 0.7 percent.