Germany's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 6.3% in May from 6.4% in April, according to government data published Friday.
The reading is below the consensus forecast of 6.4% for the month.
Meanwhile, the number of unemployed individuals in Germany fell by 12,000 in May, against the revised 19,000 increase earlier and the expected jump of 11,000, according to Investing.com data.
The number of German companies planning to increase prices "somewhat" eased in May, even as producer and consumer prices are anticipated to "rise significantly" in the months ahead, the ifo Institute said Friday.Month over month, the indicator for price expectations edged down to 30.3 points from 31.3 points in April, with the level still considered "high." The indicator monitors the percentage of companies that plan to hike prices on balance.Sector-wise, price pressures eased in manufacturing, services and trade, with energy-intensive companies experiencing the most significant drop. Meanwhile, non-energy-intensive companies saw price expectations tick up.
Spain's annual inflation held steady at 3.2% for a second month in May, according to provisional data from the National Statistics Institute published Friday.The reading is below the consensus estimate of 3.3%, according to Investing.com data.On a monthly basis, consumer prices in Spain were up 0.1%, against the previous 0.4% rise and the expected 0.2% uptick.The Spanish annual harmonized inflation rate came in at 3.6%, in line with the market forecast and against the previous 3.5%. Month over month, harmonized consumer prices ticked up 0.1%, compared with the 0.7% growth earlier and the expected 0.2% increase.Meanwhile, the country's annual core inflation rate rose to 2.9% from 2.8%.
The KOF Swiss Economic Institute's economic barometer increased to 98 points in May from the revised 97.8 points in April, according to a Friday release.Analysts expected 98 points for the month.KOF said the figure, which remains below the indicator's medium-term average, reflects a "muted" Swiss economy.