Analytics, Employment, Estonia, Labour-market, Markets and Companies

Valga county emerged as the country with the highest unemployment last month, posting a rate of 8.5%. Unemployment was lowest in Saare county at 3%. The northeastern East-Viru county, which used to have the highest rate of unemployment in Estonia for a long time, saw its unemployment rate decline from 9.9% to 8.4% in 12 months, the Unemployment Insurance Fund said.

The number of people registered as unemployed was bigger by 1.4% than in August 2017. The number of such people has increased as a result of the work ability reform. Of the registered unemployed, about 9,600 or 32% were persons with limited capacity for work.

The unemployment indicators were influenced also by the start of the new academic year. Just like in previous years, there was a bigger number of people among the unemployed in August than in other months of the year who terminated their status as unemployed as a result of taking up studies. According to tentative data there were close to 200 such people in Estonia in August.

A total of 3,300 people, including 713 people with reduced capacity for work, took up employment or started activity as an entrepreneur during the month.

The Unemployment Insurance Fund had some 9,900 jobs on offer in August and during the month over 5,000 job offers were added.