CRO LABOUR AND WELFARE MINISTER MEETS AUSTRIAN ECONOMY, LABOUR MINISTER

ZAGREB, March 9 (Hina) - Croatian Labour and Welfare Minister on Friday received Austrian Economy and Labour Minister Martin Bartenstein, the Croatian Labour and Welfare Ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, the Austrian Minister informed Vidovic of measures the Austrian government was taking in the struggle against unemployment. The unemployment rate in Austria amounts to three percent. Austria's Minister said that close to EUR1 billion was invested last year in the solving of the unemployment issue. Minister Bartenstein said that about 25,000 Croats work in Austria, adding the country would continue to import labour force in the future. Minister Vidovic pointed to the alarming data on the current economic situation in Croatia and said there were close to 390,000 unemployed persons registered at the State Employment Bureau, namely 22.6 percent of the population. Vidovic stressed, however, that the real unemployment rate amounted to about 15.4 percent, which points to another great problem in Croatia, labour "under the counter". Austrian Minister Bartenstein, however, expressed hope that Croatia was on the path of economic recovery, adding Austria would assist this process. The two minister concluded that already good cooperation would continue. (hina) it