REGISTERED UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINS LOW IN FEBRUARY

Registered unemployment in the country remained low at 4.9% in February, according to administrative statistics from the Employment Agency. Compared to the same month last year there was a decrease of 2.0 percentage points.

The number of unemployed in the labor offices in February was 159 906, which is 2416 less than in the previous month and 65 375 or 29.0% less than a year earlier. In February, 19 407 new unemployed people registered, the number of which was 6185 lower than in the previous month, and on an annual basis there was a decrease of 5490 people. Another 445 people from the groups of jobseekers, students and retirees also registered with the Employment Agency during the month.

12 714 unemployed people found their new jobs in February. There is an increase of 829 persons compared to January, and compared to the same month of the previous year they are 5 516 less. 164 people from the groups of pensioners, students and employees also found work through the labor offices.

The distribution of the unemployed who started working by sectors of the economy is as follows: 56.7% of those who started working in February were employed in the real economy, most of them employed in the manufacturing sector - 20.0%, followed by trade - 17.0%, hotels and restaurants - 8.3%, agriculture, forestry and fisheries - 5.7%, construction - 5.5%, government - 5.1% and others.

The most sought-after professions during the month are: staff employed in the field of personal services; machine operators of stationary machines and equipment; sellers; drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment; workers in the mining and processing industry, construction and transport; staff caring for people; skilled workers in the production of food, clothing, wood products and related; waste collection and related workers; metallurgists, machine builders and related craftsmen; cleaners and helpers, etc.