Unemployment rate down 4.1 percent in Q2, 2018

Unemployment rate in Romania dropped to 4.1 percent, a 0.6 percentage point decline in Q2 as compared to the previous quarter, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Wednesday. 

By gender, the gap between the two unemployment rates stood at 1.4 percentage points ( 4.7 percent in men and 3.3 percent in women) and by residence, at 0.3 percentage points (4.3 percent in the rural areas and 4 percent in the urban ones). 

By age range, the unemployment rate reached its highest level (15.5 percent) among the young (15-24 years old). 

In the same period, the employment rate of the working age population (15-64 years) was 65.5 percent, up 2.4 percentage points as compared to the previous quarter, higher in men, 74.1 percent than in women, 56.7 percent and in the urban areas, 65.9 percent than in the rural areas, 65 percent. 

In Q2 2018, the employment rate of the population aged 20-64 stood at 70.7 percent, exceeding by 0.7 percentage points the 70 percent national target establishes in the context of the European strategy 2020. 

The youth employment rate (15-24 years) was 25.6 percent. 

Romania's active population amounted to 9.212 million people, of whom 8.832 million were employed and 380,000 unemployed.