Unemployment increases in Bahrain

Number of unemployed in Bahrain reached by the end of November 2001 15797 persons representing 12.4% of the total number of the labor force in Bahrain estimated at 127121 persons.

News reports quoted a report by the Bahrain's ministry of social affairs and labor as saying that number of unemployed started to increase since an announcement was made to pay financial aids to unemployed persons in May 2001, as thousands of persons registered themselves at the ministry to benefit from the aids especially women whose number reached 24,000.

The report added that financial aids were given to 14847 citizens among the applied persons between May and October 2001 after necessary investigations, noting that the ministry's efforts to employment and training resulted in the reduction in number of those who benefited from the aids to 10031.

The report also indicated a great increase in the number of female who are registered as job seekers. A number which reached 10387 until the end of November, 2001, noting that this figures doubles the number of registered male which reached 5410 persons.

In may 2001, the government of Bahrain announced the allocation of 25 million Bahraini Dinar ( approximately USD 66 million) to solve problems pertinent to unemployment in the context of a national program to train and qualify unemployed. The program states to pay monthly aids for six months of 70 Bahraini dinar for the unmarried ( USD 185) and 100 dinar for the married ( USD 265).