Eurozone unemployment hits new high

American politicians and officials are also carefully watching what’s happening in Europe, over fears the continent could drag down the U.S. recovery. 

{mosads}The U.S. unemployment rate has been going in the opposite direction of Europe’s, though a soft March jobs report here has left some concerned that the recovery may be slowing once more. 

In all, the 27 countries that make up the European Union also topped double digits, coming in at 10.2 percent. 

The rates in individual countries also varied widely, with Austria and the Netherlands both coming in at 5 percent or lower. But two of the eurozone countries seen as being in the deepest fiscal trouble – Spain (24.1 percent) and Greece (21.7 percent) – had rates at least four times that high. 

Europe’s central bank is also scheduled to hold a monetary policy meeting on Thursday, after its president, Mario Draghi, recently suggested that the continent needs to put more emphasis on economic growth even as it deals with its debt issues.

Germany, which has a 5.6 percent unemployment rate, has been one of the key advocates of austerity programs in Europe. In March, 25 E.U. countries signed a fiscal compact that had been pushed by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.