06.02.2024

6 THOUSAND MORE UNEMPLOYED IN OUR COUNTRY IN A YEAR

Unemployment in the European Union in December 2023 remained at the same level registered in November 2023 - 5.9 percent, taking seasonal factors into account. It decreased compared to December 2022, when it was 6.1 percent. This is shown by the latest data of the European statistical agency Eurostat, published on its website.

In the Eurozone, seasonally adjusted unemployment in December also remained at the level of November 2023 - 6.4 percent. It decreased compared to December 2022, when it was 6.7 percent.

Unemployment in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the seasonally adjusted unemployment in December 2023 remained at the same level that was recorded in November 2023 - 4.3 percent. Approximately 130,000 people were registered as unemployed.

For comparison, in December 2022, unemployment in our country was 4 percent (124,000 people).

Native youth unemployment (those under the age of 25) in December 2023 rose to 12.5 percent (approximately 15,000), seasonally adjusted, from 12.2 percent in November 2023.

On an annual basis (compared to December 2023), youth unemployment in Bulgaria has increased compared to December 2022, when it was 9.2 percent.

Unemployment in the EU and the Eurozone

According to Eurostat estimates, more than 12.93 million women and men in the EU, of which 10.9 million in the euro area, were unemployed last December.

On an annual basis (compared to December 2022), the number of unemployed persons in the European Union decreased by 299,000 people, and in the Eurozone by 369,000 people.

Malta (2.4 per cent) had the lowest unemployment among EU countries in December 2023, followed by Poland (2.7 per cent) and the Czech Republic (2.8 per cent).

Unemployment remained the highest in Spain (11.7 percent) and in Greece (9.2 percent).

Seasonally adjusted youth unemployment in December 2023 reported more than 2.86 million unemployed youth (under the age of 25) in the EU, of which more than 2.32 million were in the euro area.

In percentage terms, this represents 14.7 percent of unemployed youth in EU countries and 14.4 percent in those of the Eurozone.