Unemployment declines, expenditures on unemployment benefits rise

The rate of unemployment at the end of November fell to 8.4% from 8.5% in October. There are 490,799 people registered in the Labour Office who search for employment. November seasonality is more or less the same as in October and slight decline in unemployment can be attributed mainly to higher economic growth; however not to softening of structural unemployment problem. Interesting (and sad as well) is the fact that the last year amendment to employment act in October aiming to more effective passive employment policy, increased expenditures on unemployment benefits by 17%, although the unemployment in Czech republic declined. In the light of these facts persistence of structural unemployment is comprehensible.