Unemployment rises by nearly 5,000 persons in the third quarter
In the third quarter of 2020, there were 54,300 unemployed persons in Estonia, which is 4,900 more than in the second quarter of the year, data from Statistics Estonia shows.
The labour force participation rate was 71.8 percent, the employment rate was 66.3 percent, and the unemployment rate was 7.7 percent.
Leading analyst at Statistics Estonia Eveli Voolens said the unemployment rate was 3.8 percentage points higher than in the third quarter (July, August and September) of 2019. Most of the unemployed persons had been unemployed for less than half a year.
"34,100 unemployed persons were looking for either full-time or part-time work and 20,000 were looking for only full-time work. The number of long-term unemployed increased, and totalled 9,400," added Voolens.
In the third quarter, there were 652,700 employed persons, of whom 574,100 worked full-time and 78,600 worked part-time.
"Compared to the same time last year, the employment rate fell by 2.7 percentage points. It was highest for persons aged 25–49. While the number of part-time employed persons did not change much year on year, the number of persons employed full-time declined by 24,200," explained Voolens.
The female employment rate was 62.5 percent and the male employment rate 70.3 percent.
By economic activity, employment was highest in manufacturing, although it decreased year on year. However, in some economic activities, the number of employed persons increased: the most in construction.
The number of inactive persons in the third quarter amounted to 277,200, which is slightly more than a year ago. The main reasons for inactivity were retirement, studies and illness or disability.
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Editor: Helen Wright
