Unemployment ended with 4.8% in 2021

The registered unemployment in the country remains at a record low level and in December - 4.8% according to the data from the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency for the month. The decline on an annual basis is by 1.9 percentage points.

The registered unemployed in the last month of 2021 were 157,283, which is 964 less than in November and 63,009 or 28.6% less than a year earlier. In December, 21,505 new unemployed people registered with the labor offices, which is 3,145 people less than in the previous month, and compared to December 2020 there was a decrease of 11,102 people. Another 400 people from the groups of jobseekers, students and retirees also registered with the Employment Agency during the month.

In December, 14,167 unemployed people started working. The data from the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency report an increase in their number by 1,036 compared to November and by 1,914 compared to the same month last year. Another 125 people from the groups of pensioners, students and employees have found their new jobs through the employment offices.

The distribution of the unemployed who started work by sectors of the economy is as follows: 59.6% of those who started working in December are employed in the real economy, most of them employed in the general government sector - 17.9%, followed by manufacturing - 17.0%, trade - 16.0%, hotels and restaurants - 8.0%, construction - 4.2%, administrative and support service activities - 4.0% and others.

5,717 unemployed persons from the risk groups were employed in subsidized jobs during the month - 2,956 under employment programs and measures and 2,761 - under schemes of the Operational Program "Human Resources Development" (OP HRD). The Employment for You scheme under the HRD OP, which started in July 2020 as an anti-crisis measure, has provided employment to over 43,000 unemployed people, and only in December employment contracts were concluded with 2,201 unemployed people.

The provision of funds under the already well-known anti-crisis measure 60/40, the validity of which was extended until the end of 2021 by Decree 322 / 07.10.2021, continues. Thus, from 12.10.2021, when the new procedure starts, ensure that the employment of more than 105,000 employees is maintained.

The declared jobs on the primary labor market in December were 7,967 or 2,142 less than the previous month and 395 more compared to the same month in 2020, which is typical for the autumn-winter season. The largest share of vacancies in the real economy is declared in the manufacturing industry (34.3%), followed by trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13.5%), administrative and support service activities (8.9%), hotels and restaurants (7.6%) management (6.8%) and education (5.7%).

The most sought-after professions in business during the month are: machine operators of stationary machines and equipment; sellers; skilled workers in the production of food, clothing, wood products and related; workers in the mining and processing industry, construction and transport; security and protection personnel; personnel employed in the field of personal services; staff caring for people; metallurgists, machine builders and related craftsmen; economic and administrative specialists; waste collection and related workers, etc.