Rising unemployment will remain a problem in the European Union (EU) for several years, according to its executive agency.

The European Commission has suggested that the longest downturn in EU history will push the political union's jobless rate to a peak of 10.7 per cent next year and 10.9 per cent in 2011.

Member states will also be under pressure to reduce the budgetary deficits that have soared in the past two years, while also ensuring that jobs and the broader recovery are not jeopardized.

Joaquin Almunia, economic and monetary affairs commissioner, explained that member states must "maintain momentum" and "support sustainability".

"The EU economy is coming out of recession," he said. "However, the road ahead is a challenging one."

Last month, the Swedish minister for employment Sven Otto Littorin told a high-level EU meeting that the region's labor market situation will continue to deteriorate before it improves.

According to Eurostat, the EU's jobless rate increased to 9.2 per cent in September, which is the highest level documented since records began in 2000.