In the third quarter, there were 54,300 unemployed persons in Estonia, up by 4,900 QoQ, data from Statistics Estonia showed.
The labor force participation rate was 71.8%, the employment rate was 66.3% and the unemployment rate was 7.7%.
Leading analyst at Statistics Estonia Eveli Voolens said the unemployment rate was 3.8% higher than in the third quarter 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 totaled 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%. It was the highest for persons aged 25-49. While the number of part-time employed persons did not change much YoY, the number of persons employed full-time declined by 24,200,” explained Voolens.
The female employment rate was 62.5% and the male employment rate 70.3%.
By economic activity, employment was the highest in manufacturing, although it decreased over the 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, slightly more than a year ago. The main reasons for inactivity were retirement, studies and illness or disability. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
