Unemployment in Europe rises for 5th consecutive month in August, reaching 8.1% in eurozone as pandemic hits economy

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.