The number of persons eligible for unemployment benefits dropped in October for the second straight month. Sociálna Poisťovňa, Slovakia’s social security provider, paid out unemployment assistance to over 56,300 people in October, which is a drop of 5,400 against the previous month, the SITA newswire wrote.
In a year-on-year comparison, however, the number of beneficiaries surged almost 32,000, reported the social security provider. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits grew for the ninth month in a row until late September 2009, from nearly 23,400 in November 2008 to a five-year high of 63,500 in August 2009.
The Finance Ministry has recommended to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family not to extend the period of eligibility of jobless people to unemployment benefits. The Finance Ministry argued that if the proposal to extend the period were approved, the basic fund of unemployment insurance would end up in a deficit as it does not have the additional €143.3 million to cover the measure. The ministry suggests instead softer requirements for eligibility to unemployment benefits, without extending the period of entitlement to the benefits. That would only require €40.5 million from Sociálna Poisťovňa's budget, SITA wrote. SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
