The unemployment rate in May 2010 dropped by 0.42 per cent from April and stood at 9.53 per cent, trending down for a third month in a row, National Employment Agency Director Rositsa Steliyanova told a news conference on Friday.

The number of jobless people declined by 15,697 compared to April, bringing the total number of unemployed to 352,969. The number of newly registered unemployed people fell significantly by 12,420, month on month, and stood at 23,273.

The share of newly registered unemployed people from the processing industry was largest (18.9 per cent), followed by trade (18.3 per cent), construction (7.5 per cent), state administration and defence (6.2 per cent), transport and communications (4.5 per cent), hotels and restaurants (3 per cent).

A total of 12,736 jobs, 97.8 per cent of all jobs, were declared on the primary market in May. The number of vacant positions declared at job centres stood at 13,017. Most jobs were declared in the processing industry (3,866), followed by agriculture (2,307), trade (1,813), hotel and restaurant management (968) and construction (763).

Sixteen jobless competed for one job nationwide.

Source: BTA