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Unemployment rate (survey data)
2010 05 25

PRESS RELEASE

The unemployment rate in I quarter 2010 was 18.1 per cent

Statistics Lithuania informs that, according to the Labour Force Survey data, the unemployment rate in the country in I quarter 2010 was 18.1 per cent, which is by 2.5 percentage points more than in IV quarter 2009. In I quarter 2010, against I quarter 2009, the unemployment rate grew 1.5 times. 

The male unemployment rate in I quarter 2010 was 23.2, female – 13.1 per cent. A higher male unemployment rate was conditioned by a rapid decrease in the number of persons employed in construction and industrial enterprises. In I quarter 2010, the urban unemployment rate was 16.6, rural – 21.8 per cent. 

The youth (aged 15–24) unemployment rate in I quarter 2010 increased to 35.9 per cent. Over a quarter, the youth unemployment rate grew by 6.8 percentage points, over a year – almost 1.5 times. 

Unemployment in 2009–2010 by quarter

In I quarter 2010, according to the estimates of Statistics Lithuania, the number of the unemployed was 293.4 thousand, which is by 38.2 thousand more than in IV quarter 2009. Over a year, the number of the unemployed grew 1.5 times (by 99.5 thousand). 

In I quarter 2010, the number of the long-term unemployed, i.e. persons looking for a job for one year and longer, increased to 99.6 thousand. In IV quarter 2009, this figure stood at 71.7 thousand, a year ago – 38.1 thousand. 

In I quarter 2010, according to the data of the Lithuanian Labour Exchange, the average number of the registered unemployed was 298 thousand. A noticeable increase in the number of the unemployed registered at the labour exchange was observed at the end of the March, which was due to the obligation for the unemployed who are not registered at the labour exchange to pay compulsory health insurance contributions, set in the Law on Health Insurance of the Republic of Lithuania. 

With the increase in unemployment, the number of employed persons decreased. In I quarter 2010, the number of employed persons in the whole economy was 1 million 328 thousand, which is by 55.4 thousand (4 per cent) less than in IV quarter 2009. The most marked decrease in the number of employed persons over a quarter was observed in construction – by 11.8 thousand, and industry – 10.3 thousand. 

In I quarter 2010, against I quarter 2009, the number of employed persons dropped by 104.7 thousand, or 7.3 per cent. Over a year, the number of persons employed in construction dropped by 36.5, in industry – 12.4 per cent.  

With the decrease in the number of employed persons, the employment rate declined as well. In I quarter 2010, the employment rate of the population aged 15–64 was 56.8 per cent. Over a quarter, it dropped by 1.9, while over a year – by 4.2 percentage points. The male employment rate was 54.5, female – 58.9 per cent. 

Unemployment rate in the Baltic States in 2009–2010 by quarter

In I quarter 2010, according to the data of statistical offices of the Baltic States, the lowest unemployment rate was observed in Lithuania (18.1 per cent), the highest – in Latvia (20.4 per cent), while in Estonia it stood at 19.8 per cent. Over a year, the unemployment rate in Lithuania and Latvia grew 1.5, in Estonia – 1.7 times. 

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Over I quarter 2010, 14.6 thousand persons, or 0.5 per cent of the population aged 15 and over, were interviewed.  

A press release on the results of the Labour Force Survey for II quarter 2010 is due on 24 August 2010. 

© Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (Statistics Lithuania)
Reproduction and quoting are authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

More information on the issue is available on the website of Statistics Lithuania, in predefined tables and the Database of Indicators.

Table 1. Unemployment rate
Per cent

Table 2. The unemployed
Thousand

Table 3. The unemployed by duration of unemployment
Thousand

Table 4. Employment
Thousand

Table 5. Employed persons by economic activity
Thousand

Table 6. Employment and activity rates
Per cent

Document updated: 2010 05 25

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