UNEMPLOYMENT in April was 19.26 per cent, including 488,818 people declaring they were without work at labour offices across the country and another 32,000 at home as invalids or on maternity leave. The figure represents an improvement of about 25,000 people from the month before, when unemployment was 20.19 per cent, but a slight drop from April 2001, when the figure was 19.25 per cent.
In April 2002 89,000 people were drawing unemployment benefits, down 13,000 from the month before and 1,853 year-on-year. Labour offices registered 14,300 free job places in April, up 1,453 from the month before and 4,300 y-o-y.
The highest unemployment rate, as usual, was in Košice region with 26.23 per cent, while the lowest was Bratislava region's 6.18 per cent.
