July registered unemployment unchanged at 4.6 percent
The number of registered unemployed in Estonia stood at 29,594 at the end of July, accounting for 4.6 percent of the total workforce aged 16 to retirement age. This figure remained unchanged compared to June numbers, but was up ten percent on year due to the nationwide work ability reform.
In the course of Estonia's work ability reform, the number of registered unemployed with reduced capacity for work ha doubled, making up 29 percent of the registered unemployed in July. Taking into account only persons with full capacity for work, the number of registered unemployed in July was approximately seven percent lower than in July 2016, the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (EUIF) said.
The rate of registered unemployment remained highest in Ida-Viru County at ten percent and Valga County at 8.3 percent. Unemployment was lowest in Harju County at 3.4 and Saare County at 3.5 percent. Unskilled workers constituted the largest part of the previously employed registered jobless, accounting for 23 percent of the total, ahead of service and sales personnel at 18 percent and skilled workers and craftsmen at 17 percent.
3,894 new job offers were available through the EUIF in July, 18 percent fewer than in June and 11 percent fewer than in July of last year. The EUIF had a total of 9,866 jobs on offer in July, the largest number of which were for skilled workers and craftsmen (24 percent of jobs), service and sales personnel (23 percent) and unskilled workers (22 percent).
A total of 3,269 people, including 653 persons with limited capacity for work, found employment or started a business with the help of the EUIF in July.
9,461 individuals received unemployment insurance benefits in July, accounting for 28 percent of the registered jobless. Benefits per calendar month averaged €441, with a total disbursed passing €3.5 million. 6,846 persons, or 20 percent of the total number of registered jobless, received the basic unemployment allowance of €151 per month.
Layoff benefits averaging €1,670 in size were paid to 493 people in July, with a total of more than €964,000 paid out to recipients of the benefit.
Benefits in case of insolvency of the employer were awarded to 107 persons, with the average size of the benefit totaling €2,024. Overall more than €296,000 was disbursed in such benefits.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS