LONDON: Europe’s main stock markets were sluggish in opening trade on Tuesday, as London reported an increase in UK unemployment and several countries marked a public holiday.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.4 percent to 7,479.44 points compared with the closing level on Monday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX was up 0.1 percent at 15,895.61 points while the Paris CAC 40 was flat at 7,345.83.

The UK unemployment rate jumped to a two-year high of 4.2 percent for the three months to the end of June compared to the previous three months, as the country grapples with high inflation and a cost of living crisis.

According to the monthly report from the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday, the rise was mainly generated by an increase in people registered as unemployed for more than six months.