Rome, Dec 2 - Italy's unemployment rate rose to eight percent in October, the highest rate recorded in five years.

According to official statistics released by the European Union's statistics agency, ISTAT, the number of jobless in Italy rose from 7.8 percent in September.

Claudio Scajola, minister for economic development, said that Italy's jobless rate was far better than the EU average and many other countries.

"The economic crisis is moving to unemployment," he said. "However this figure is not worse than the European average, and we are doing better."

Unemployment in the 16-countries of the Eurozone totalled 9.8 percent of the workforce, unchanged from September's upwardly revised rate.

But the rate in the region is still an 11-year high that defies speculation about an economic recovery.  (IANS)