Because of COVID-19 pandemic, ILO unemployment rate up to 4.6pct in March 2020

In March 2020, the unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percentage points compared to the one registered in the previous month, reaching 4.6 percent from 3.9 percent, according to the data published by National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Thursday. According to the INS, the number of ILO unemployed increased by 58,000 persons (roughly 16 percent) compared to the previous month and by 79,000 persons (roughly 24 percent) compared to March 2019. The number of unemployed (aged 15-74) estimated for March 2020 was of 410,000 persons, increasing as compared to the previous month (352,000 persons), as well as compared to the same month of the previous year (331,000 persons). According to the breakdown by gender, men's unemployment rate was higher by 1.3 percentage points than that of women, the respective values being 5.1 percent for men and 3.8 percent for women. The unemployment rate of adult persons (aged 25-74) was estimated at 3.4 percent in March 2020 (3.9 percent for men and 2.7 percent for women). The number of unemployed aged 25-74 accounted for 69.9 percent of the total number of unemployed estimated for March 2020. AGERPRES (RO - author: Nicoleta Banciulea, editor: Oana Tilica; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)