Unemployment tops 8%

Unemployment in Bulgaria exceeded the 8-percent psychological barrier, social minister Totyu Mladenov said. Data of the Employment Agency show that unemployment hit 8.03% in September. That is the highest rate reached since April 2007, when the jobless made up 8.38% of the workforce.
A total of 297,500 people were registered as jobless at the end of September, up by nearly 6,000 compared to August, Mladenov said. However, the minister said there was a drop in mass lay-off notices.
About BGN 1 billion will be spent in 2010 on job-preserving measures and limiting unemployment, Mladenov added.

Finance