The European Trade Union Confederation is calling on national governments to keep emergency job protection measures in place after EU unemployment rose for the fifth month in a row. 

Despite an easing of lockdown measures, 336,000 more people became permanently unemployed between June and July, official figures published today by Eurostat show.

That means the number of permanent job losses since lockdown began in March is over 1.5 million, taking total EU unemployment to 15 million.

The overall unemployment rate has increased from 6.4 to 7.2 since March, and from 14.5 to 17 among young people.

On top of this, there are 45 million workers on short-time work schemes who are at risk of permanent unemployment unless emergency measures are extended. 

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