"Hungary's rate of unemployment ticked up to 7.7% year on year in the fourth quarter of 2007 from 7.5% in the previous three-month period, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) has reported on Wednesday.Hungary's rate of unemployment came to 7.4% on average in 2007, down by 0.1 percentage point from 2006.
The KSH said the number of unemployed was 327,800 and the number of employed totalled 3,909,400 in the period examined. The latter figure compares with 3.922 m in Sept-Nov and 3.953 m in the same period of 2006. The number of unemployed rose by 11,800 from the previous 3-m period and was up by 8,200 from the reading in the same period of 2006.
According to data provided by Eurostat, the statistics agency of the European Union, the harmonised jobless rate was 6.8% in the EU-15 and 6.9% in the EU-27 in Novembe.
The labour market activity of the population aged 15-74 was 54.9% in the last quarter, unchanged from the previous three-month period and down by 0.4ppt from the same period last year. The employment rate of the population aged 15-64 was 57.1% in the period examined, down 0.2ppt from Sept-Nov and 0.5ppt in Q4 2006.
The jobless rate for the 15-24 year old, representing 18.6% of all unemployed, was 19.2, down 0.3 ppts from the same period last year. The KSH said 45.8% of all unemployed have been seeking jobs for a year or more (unchanged from reading in the previous 3 months).
The average duration of joblessness came to 16.7 months, also unchanged from the previous 3-m period."
Source: Portfolio Online FInancial Journal
31.01.2008