2010.08.1907:15:00UTC+00Latvian Unemployment Falls In Q2

Latvia's unemployment declined in the second quarter compared to the first three months of the year, while the employment situation improved.

The jobless rate fell to 19.4% from 20.4% in the first quarter of the year, data from the Central Statistical Bureau showed Thursday. However, the rate is higher than 16.7% recorded in the same period last year.

There were 225,800 unemployed persons during the second quarter compared to 235,400 in the previous three months. A year ago, there were 199,700 unemployed. The registered unemployment rate in the second quarter was 16.5% as per official estimates.

The number of employed rose to 935,900 from 916,700 persons in the first quarter. However, the figure fell from 999,300 last year. The labor force shrunk 3.1% year-on-year.

The Latvian economy expanded for the second consecutive quarter during three-month ending June, official data showed last week. Gross domestic product grew 0.1% sequentially on seasonally adjusted basis in the second quarter, following a 0.3% growth in the first three months of the year.

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