The number of unemployed in Belarus increased to 43.5 thousand people as of March 1

March 17, Minsk /BELTA/. As of March 1, the number of unemployed registered with labor, employment and social protection agencies was 43.5 thousand people. As reported to BELTA correspondent by the National Statistical Committee, this is 2.5% more than a year ago and 2.3% more than on February 1, 2010. The registered unemployment rate in the republic at the end of February this year was 0.9% of the economically active population of the country (a year ago this figure was also 0.9%). In Vitebsk and Grodno regions, unemployment as of March 1, 2010, was at the level of 1.2%, in Gomel and Brest regions – 1.1%, in Mogilev – 1%, in Minsk region – 0.9%. In the capital, registered unemployment is traditionally lower than in the regions of the country – it is 0.4% of the economically active population of Minsk. According to operational data from Belstat, in January-February of this year, 46.2 thousand citizens seeking employment assistance were registered. Of these, 37.4 thousand people (80.8% of applicants) were recognized as unemployed. By the way, among the regions of the country, the largest number of unemployed were registered in Vitebsk region in February (3.3 thousand people), and the smallest – in Minsk (1.7 thousand). In January-February, 24.5 thousand people were employed in the country, including 20.1 thousand unemployed (81.9% of all employed). Moreover, in February, 2 thousand unemployed found jobs in Vitebsk region with the assistance of the state employment service, 1.9 thousand in Minsk region, 1.8 thousand in Gomel region, 1.7 thousand each in Brest and Mogilev regions, 1.4 thousand in Grodno region, and the smallest number of employed unemployed were in Minsk (0.6 thousand). In January-February of this year, 11.9 thousand people were involved in public works organized by the state employment service, including 10 thousand unemployed (84.1% of the total number of people directed to this type of temporary employment). The average unemployment benefit per unemployed person in February was Br48.9 thousand, or 19% of the subsistence minimum per capita (from February 1 to April 30, 2010, this standard was set at Br255 thousand 220). -0-