Unemployment in Bulgaria continued to decrease through September and stood at 6.78 per cent, down 22 per cent month-on-month and 1.66 per cent year-on-year, the Employment Agency said on Friday.

Jobless persons registered at job centres totalled 251,091 that month, 61,622 fewer than a year earlier and 8,219 fewer than a month earlier.

Unemployment stood at 1.66 per cent in Sofia. The unemployment level in other eight regions remain below the average for the country, including Bourgas - 2.83 per cent, Gabrovo - 3.63 per cent, Varna - 4.37 per cent, Pernik - 5.61 per cent, Stara Zagora - 5.89 per cent, Plovdiv - 5.94, Blagoevgrad - 6.18 per cent and Rousse - 6.58 per cent.

The level in the Dobrich Region is almost equal to the average for the country and stands at 6.82 per cent. In other 18 regions the level is above the average for the country: Turgovishte - 14.55 per cent, Montana - 13.28 per cent, Vidin 12.26 per cent, Shoumen - 12.24 per cent and Razgrad - 12.21 per cent.

Job centres offered 16,395 jobs in September, one third of which in the education. A total of 3,479 unemployed started occupational training courses over the month.