ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The average unemployment growth rate in Croatia between the start of 2001 and late September was 7.2%, which is much lower than the 2000 average, when the unemployment growth rate was 11.2%, Croatian Employment
Bureau (HZZ) director Sanja Crnkovic Pozaic said, adding it was visible the unemployment rate was beginning to stagnate. A total of 376,626 unemployed persons were registered with the Bureau in late September, which is 16,705 people or 4.6% more than in the same month last year. At the same time, this is this year's lowest unemployment growth rate. Most unemployed persons, around 60 percent, are below the age of 40, with one third being between the ages of 20 and 29. Thirteen percent of the unemployed are older than 50. In the period between January and September, 156,489 labour requests were forwarded to the Bureau, which is 34.4% more than in the same period last year. Most r
ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The average unemployment growth rate in
Croatia between the start of 2001 and late September was 7.2%, which
is much lower than the 2000 average, when the unemployment growth
rate was 11.2%, Croatian Employment Bureau (HZZ) director Sanja
Crnkovic Pozaic said, adding it was visible the unemployment rate
was beginning to stagnate.
A total of 376,626 unemployed persons were registered with the
Bureau in late September, which is 16,705 people or 4.6% more than
in the same month last year. At the same time, this is this year's
lowest unemployment growth rate.
Most unemployed persons, around 60 percent, are below the age of 40,
with one third being between the ages of 20 and 29. Thirteen percent
of the unemployed are older than 50.
In the period between January and September, 156,489 labour
requests were forwarded to the Bureau, which is 34.4% more than in
the same period last year. Most requests referred to skilled
(40.4%) and highly skilled (39.2%) workers. Crnkovic says the
number of registered vacancies is much higher than in previous
years.
A total of 110,376 persons registered with the Bureau found
employment in the period between January and September, which is an
increase of 21.7% as against the same period last year.
According to data provided by the Bureau, employment has increased
in all counties and in 15 occupation branches, with the highest
increase being registered in the manufacturing industry and three
seasonal areas - commerce (24.4%), catering (20.2%) and
construction (41.5%). It is because of the fact that three out of
four areas which contributed most to the increase of employment are
seasonal activities that one can expect unemployment to rise this
autumn.
The Bureau expects this year's last quarter will see the adoption of
a new law on employment as well as the introduction of international
standards in the HZZ functioning, on the basis of which contracts
will be signed with unemployed persons binding them to look for jobs
on their own. At the same time, competition will be introduced in
employment-seeking services, which will be provided both by
physical and legal entities.
(hina) sb rml