By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - European stock markets closed in negative territory on Thursday as job vacancy rate fell in the third quarter.
The STOXX Europe 600, which includes around 90% of the market capitalization of the European market in 17 countries, was down 12 point, or 2.85%, at 429.91.
The UK's FTSE 100 lost 69 points, or 0.93%, to close at 7,426. Germany's DAX 30 dove 473 points, or 3.28%, to end the session at 13,986.
France's CAC 40 decreased 208 points, or 3.09%, to finish the fourth trading day of the week at 6,522.
Italy's FTSE MIB was the worst performer of the day by plummeting 847 points, or 3.45%, to 23,726.
Spain's IBEX 35 declined 141 points, or 1.7%, to 8,218 at the closing bell.
The job vacancy rate was 3.1% in the euro area in the third quarter of this year, down from 3.2% in the previous quarter, according to figures from Eurostat released earlier.
The job vacancy rate in the EU was 2.9% in the third quarter of 2022, down from 3% in the previous quarter, the bloc's statistical office Eurostat said.