FRANKFURT — Unemployment in the euro zone continued its steady rise in May, according to data published Monday, underscoring the human effects of a financial downturn that has lasted a year and a half.

The jobless rate in the 17 countries that belong to the euro zone was 12.1 percent in May, adjusting for seasonal effects, according to a report from Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency. That figure compared with 12 percent in April, which was revised down from 12.2 percent reported earlier. Based on the revised figures, May unemployment was at a record high.  Read more