Unemployment Crawls Up

The number of registered unemployed in the entire country is now 304,915 people, as I the last month alone 7,400 employees were left without job, statistics for October of the Agency on Employment shows. In the last month unemployment rate reached 8.23%, by 0.2% more as compared to September, and by 2.38% year-on-year.

In the last month the most people lost their jobs in the processing industry – 19% of all registered, commerce – 16%, state rule and defence – 10.8%, and construction industry – 8.2%. Just 0.8% of all registering with labour bourses are coming home from abroad, the data shows.

Announced jobs for the month number to 20,847, by 6,561 more as compared to September

and by 5,287 versus October 2008. Some 12,039 jobs are announced at the primary market.

In October 21,217 formerly unemployed have started jobs, or by 7,322 people more than in September. As of the same month last year the growth reported is of 7,109 persons.

As of October 31 vacant at the labour bureaus are left 5,891 jobs. Under the scheme Qualification Services and Employee Trainings (phase 1 and 2) under the Human Resources Development Operational Program 502 employees were included in professional trainings in October, and 318 employees – in key competences trainings.

The unemployment rate remains lower than the average for the country in 8 regions.

In Sofia City it is 2.58%, in Bourgas – 5.07%, in Varna – 6.17%, in Gabrovo – 6.2%, in Stara Zagora – 6.78%, in Plovdiv – 7.5%, in Pernik – 7.99%, and in Rousse – 8.13%. In the rest 20 regions the unemployment rate runs above the average for the country, as the highest levels remain in the regions of Smolian – 14.94%, Montana – 13.65%, and Targovishte – 13.59%.

Compared to September the unemployment rate ups in 24 regions, as more significant growth is seen in the regions of Bourgass – by 0.90 percentage points, Dobrich – by 0.75 percentage points, Vidin – by 0.61 percentage points. Four regions report decline of their numbers of unemployed: Vratza by 0.17 percentage points, Pazardzhik by с 0.16 percentage points, Silistra by 0.08 percentage points, and Shoumen – by 0.04 percentage points.