Unemployment marches higher in Europe as pandemic grinds on

October 1, 2020 News On Demand
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Actor and theater director Aris Laskos poses outside the Theater of Neos Kosmos in Athens, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Laskos based in Athens, hasn't worked since early February and received a one-off support check for 800 euros ($940) shortly after the country's economy was placed in lockdown in the spring due to the pandemic. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Unemployment rose for the fifth straight month in Europe amid concern that extensive government support programs won’t be able keep many businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions afloat forever. The jobless rate rose to 8.1% in the 19 countries that use the euro currency in August, up from 8.0% in July. Some 13.2 million people were unemployed in August and the number of those out of work rose by 251,000. Economists expect a further rise as support programs expire, while an increase in infections in many countries has raised fears that some restrictions on business interaction may have to be re-imposed.