Moscow, 22 November: The number of unemployed in Russia totalled 5.14 million by the end of October, a decrease of 26.8 per cent against the same period last year (when it was 6.25 million), the Russian State Statistics Committee
(Goskomstat) reported on Friday [22 November].
According to statistics, unemployment in Russia shrunk by 0.3 per cent or by
15,000 in October.
The total number of unemployed in Russia this year has been steadily decreasing month after month. On the whole, the number of people without jobs in Russia has decreased by 1.04 million (or 17 per cent) since the beginning
of 2002.
Unemployment in Russia is calculated by International Labour Organization (ILO) methods, which classifies as unemployed all active job seekers (through employment services, classified ads, friends, etc), and those ready to work as soon as possible (provided they are not ill, do not look after children or are senior citizens, etc.)
The level of unemployment in Russia at the end of October 2002 stood at 7.1 per cent of the economically active population (all employed and unemployed citizens taken together), which totalled 72.4 million or about 50 per cent of the populace.
The State Employment Service officially registered at the end of October 1.19 million people against 1.01 million in late October 2001. The level of registered unemployed in the country comprises 1.7 per cent of the economically active population.