Unemployment rate stagnates at 3.8pct in Q3

The unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2019 was 3.8pct, equal to the one registered in the previous quarter, but the highest level was recorded among young people, according to the data of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), published on Friday. 

In the mentioned period, the unemployment rate for men was 4.1pct, and among women 3.5pct. 

"By gender, the difference between the two unemployment rates was 0.6 percentage points (4.1pct in men versus 3.5pct in women), and in residential areas, by 1.2 percentage points (4, 5pct in the rural area, compared to 3.3pct in the urban area)", shows the INS. 

By age groups, the unemployment rate reached the highest level (17.9pct) among young people (15-24 years). 

According to the INS data, in the third quarter, the employment rate of the population aged 20-64 was 71.8pct, with 1.8 percentage points above the national target of 70pct set in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy. 

Also, the employment rate of the working age population (15-64 years) was 66.7pct, up from the previous quarter by 0.3 percentage points. The employment rate was higher for men (75.7pct compared to 57.4pct for women) and for people in urban areas (67.8pct compared to 65.3pct in rural areas). 

The employment rate of young people (15-24 years) was 25.6pct. 

In the third quarter of 2019, Romania's active population was 9.116 million people, of whom 8.766 million people were employed and 350,000 were unemployed.