Unemployment rate jumps to 15.1% during third quarter of 1999

The unemployment rate jumped nationwide from 12.9% during the second quarter of 1999 to 15.1% during the third quarter of the year, the number of persons on the dole having gone up from 1.32 million to 1.53 million.

A study conducted by the statistics department on activity, employment and unemployment revealed that women, youths below 35 and high degree-holders were most affected by unemployment.

The study showed that the unemployment rate was higher in urban areas in view of the number of new graduate job seekers. The unemployment rate for this category went up from 25.6% to 31.9% while the unemployment rate for the urban youths having no diploma dropped from 17.7% to 14.8%.

The study covered a sample of 48,000 households, 32,000 living in urban areas and 16,000 from the rural world.