Euro zone inflation jumps, growth accelerates, unemployment falls

Euro zone inflation jumped more than expected in January on a surge in energy prices as economic growth accelerated and unemployment fell to its lowest level in more than seven years, data from the European Statistics office showed on Tuesday. Inflation in the 19 countries sharing the euro accelerated to 1.8 percent year-on-year this month, Eurostat estimated, up from 1.1 percent in December, reaching the European Central Bank's medium-term target of below, but close to 2 percent.