Unemployment in December 2010 stood at 9.24 per cent, rising by only 0.17 percentage points in comparison with November, the Employment Agency said Tuesday.

The growth rate is considerably smaller in comparison with that in December 2009 when unemployment rose by 0.47 percentage points. Compared to December 2009, unemployment rose by 0.11 percentage points.

Compared to December 2009, the unemployed are by only 4,275 more, with continuing decline of increase in comparison with the like month of the preceding year which has been observed since March 2010. A total of 342,419 unemployed were registered at labour exchanges in December, an increase of 6,449 month-on-month.

Newly-registered unemployed numbered 33,972, by 4,855 less than in the preceding month.

Labour exchanges helped 6,904 people find jobs over the month, including 5,003 in the production sector.

A total of 5,549 vacant jobs were registered on the primary market over the month. Their number is declining for the third month in a row, being 1,993 less than in November.

Source: BTA