Changes in the unemployment rate in III quarter 2009

Statistics Lithuania informs that, according to the Labour Force Survey data, the number of the unemployed in III quarter 2009 made 228.1 thousand, which is by just 5 thousand more than in II quarter 2009, and the growth in the unemployment rate slowed down. In III quarter 2009, the unemployment rate stood at 13.8 per cent, which is by 0.2 percentage points more than in II quarter 2009. Over a year (III quarter 2009, against III quarter 2008), the unemployment rate grew 2.3 times. 

A rapid growth has been observed in the youth (aged 15–24) unemployment rate. In III quarter 2009, 53 thousand young people, or each tenth young person, were unemployed (a year ago, 26 thousand, i.e. twice less). 

The youth unemployment rate in III quarter 2009 reached 33.3 per cent. Over a quarter, the youth unemployment rate grew by 3.7 percentage points, a year ago – 2.2 times. The lowest youth unemployment rate (6.9 per cent) was recorded in II quarter 2007. 

Although the number of young unemployed persons a year ago, as compared with III quarter 2009, was twice as low (26 thousand), the number of young unemployed persons with higher education remained almost unchanged (7.4 and 7.8 thousand respectively). In I quarter 2009, the number of such unemployed made 2.8 thousand. In III quarter 2009, each fifth young person with higher, each seventh young person with secondary and each nineteenth young person with basic education was unemployed. 

The male unemployment rate has been growing faster than the female one. The male unemployment rate grew from 6 per cent in III quarter 2008 to 17.3 per cent in III quarter 2009 (2.9 times), while the female one – from 5.9 to 10.3 per cent (1.7 times). In II quarter 2009, the male unemployment rate stood at 16.7, the female one – at 10.4 per cent. A higher male unemployment rate was conditioned by a rapid decrease in the amount of work in industrial and construction enterprises and a subsequent decrease in the number of people working in such enterprises. 

In III quarter 2009, there were 1 million 424 thousand persons aged 15 and over working in the country; as compared with II quarter 2009, this figure remained almost unchanged (grew by 1.9 thousand, or 0.1 per cent), while over a year it dropped by 113.4 thousand, or 7.4 per cent. 

Over III quarter 2009, the number of persons working in agriculture, forestry and fishing grew by 7.1 thousand, trade – by 9 thousand, professional, scientific and technical activities – by 6.7 thousand. The number of persons working in other economic activities remained almost unchanged. 

The most marked decrease over a year was observed in the number of persons working in construction – from 167 to 117 thousand (by 30 per cent), accommodation and food service activities – from 43 to 36 thousand (16 per cent), manufacturing – from 262 to 223 thousand (15 per cent). 

In III quarter 2009, an increase was observed in the number of employees working not under an employment contract (fixed- or non-term), but under a verbal agreement. According to the estimates of Statistics Lithuania, in III quarter 2009, the number of such workers made 27 thousand, which is by 11 thousand more than in II quarter 2009. The largest share of such workers was recorded in manufacturing and agriculture (8 thousand in each), as well as in construction, trade and other sectors. 

In III quarter 2009, the employment rate stood at 60.4 per cent; over a quarter, it grew by 0.1 percentage points, while a year ago it was higher by 4.6 percentage points. In III quarter 2009, the male employment rate stood at 59.6, the female one – at 61.2 per cent. Over a year, the male employment rate dropped by 7.9, the female one – by 1.5 percentage points.