By ervin lisaku
TIRANA, Feb. 28 – The official unemployment rate dropped to 13.49 percent in the final quarter of 2010, the lowest rate registered last year, down 0.26 percent year-on-year but only 0.03 percent less compared to the third quarter of 2010, according to the latest data published by the country’s Institute of Statistics.
The insignificant decrease in the official unemployment rate, which labour unions and the opposition Socialist Party claim is at least twice higher, was a result of 1,538 new jobs in the private sector compared to the third quarter, taking the official number of people employed in the private non-agricultural sector to 244,255 people or 26 percent of the total employed persons.
Meanwhile, the number of people working in the public administration for the first time in 2010 was cut to 166,000 employees, with 600 fewer workers than in the third quarter of 2010.
The jobless rate in the private agricultural sector, covering rural areas whose inhabitants possessing land are automatically calculated as self-employed, remained unchanged at 506,664 people based on the results of a 2009 labour force survey.
INSTAT data show the labour force in the final quarter of 2010 climbed by only 760 people while the number of those employed rose by 938 people.
Only 6 percent of the total registered jobless people benefited unemployment assistance of 6,565 lek (USD 65). The number of unemployment assistance beneficiaries in the final quarter of 2010 dropped to 9,509, some 696 people fewer than the previous third quarter.
Meanwhile, the minimum wage remained unchanged at 19,000 lek under a July 2010 government decision while the average monthly wage in the public sector slightly increased to 45,000 lek.
Labour Ministry data published by INSTAT show the majority of the jobless registered with employment offices are jobseekers who have finished only compulsory education, some 76,000 out of a total of 142,000 at the end of 2009. Slightly more than 62,000 others had finished high schools while only 3,763 people were reported to hold a university degree.
A considerable number of registered jobless people, some 9,000 are minors from 15 to 19 years old, followed by the group age of 21 to 34 years with 52,560 jobseekers.
What’s characteristic about the Albanian jobless rate is that during the past 10 years it has been dominated by long term unemployment which ranged from 89.6 percent in 2000 to an average of 92 percent until the end of 2009, INSTAT says.
Labour unions claim the real unemployment rate is at least twice higher compared to what state institutions like INSTAT and government officially declare. “The real unemployment rate in Albania varies from 22 to 34 percent based on regions and professions but always counting as employed even seasonal workers or homeworkers,” said the Confederation of Trade Unions recently.
Informal work arrangements remain widespread across most economic activities notwithstanding several initiatives to tackle them, including a reduction in social contributions. Female participation and employment rates are significantly lower than for males, while unemployment is higher, said the European Commission in its latest report on Albania.
Regional comparison shows Albania’s official unemployment rate at 13.5 percent at the end of December 2010 is far better compared to Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, standing at 4 percent more than the EU 27’s average of 9.6 percent.
Albania’s main trade partners Italy and Greece are also suffering high unemployment rates of 8.6 and 12.9 percent respectively, according to Eurostat’s latest data. The situation in these two countries, where more than one million Albanian immigrants live and work, has also affected thousands of them, with many returning home after being unable to find a job because of the economic ongoing crisis.
Latest Eurostat data show Spain has the highest unemployment rate of 20.2 percent in the EU 27 followed by Slovakia at 14.5 percent.
