Unemployment rose for a fifth straight month in Europe in August and is expected to grow further amid concern that extensive government support programs won’t be able to keep many businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions afloat forever. The jobless rate increased to 8.1% in the 19 countries that use the euro currency, from 8.0% in July, official statistics showed Thursday. The number of people out of work rose by 251,000 during the month to 13.2 million. While Europe’s unemployment rate is still modest compared with the spike seen in many other countries, economists predict it could hit double digits in the coming months as wage support programs expire. A resurgence in infections in many countries has meanwhile led to new restrictions on businesses and public life that may have to be broadened and could lead to more layoffs. European governments have approved trillions of euros (dollars) to […]