The number of registered jobless in Estonia decreased for the second consecutive month in April, with 41,800 persons or 6.4 percent of the workforce from age 16 to retirement age registered as out of work with the Unemployment Insurance Fund at the end of the month.
During April the Unemployment Insurance Fund registered 5,599 new jobless and 4,012 people either found work or started business with the help of the fund.
Basing on a comparison of data on the inflow of unemployment insurance premiums for different months it can be said that the actual number of people who moved into employment was even bigger, as not all people registered as unemployed inform the Unemployment Insurance Fund that they have found a job, the fund said.
The rate of registered unemployment was the highest in Valga County at 12 percent and East-Viru County at 11.3 percent. The lowest rate of 4.6 percent was recorded in the Tartu and Viljandi counties.
Recipients of the unemployment insurance benefit numbered 11,557 in April, accounting for 24 percent of registered jobless. The average benefit per calendar month was 344 euros and the sum total disbursed exceeded 3.7 million euros. The basic unemployment allowance of around 102 euros a month was paid to 9,664 persons, 20 percent of the total number of registered jobless. The payouts totaled 786,000 euros.