Unemployment in December increased slightly in relation to November, when the unemployment rate was 17.8 percent.
December was the fourth consecutive month that saw a rise in unemployment. The unemployment rate was 18 percent for the first time last year in May.
At the end of December, 307,851 people were registered with the Employment Bureau, which is 0.8 percent more than in the previous month and 3.1 percent less than in December 2004.