Actuality March 24, 2008

The number of the unemployed in the Russian Federation was 5 mln people

at the end of February.

It is higher than in January (4,3 mln) as reporte

d Rosstat (the Federal State Statistics Service).

"It was calculated that at the end of February, 2008, 5 mln people or 6,6% of economic active population

was classified as the unemployed", is said in the agency report.

The public instituti ons of populati

on employment services report that 1,6 mln people are registered as unemployed, including 1,3 mln people on relief.

For comparison: in February, 2007 the number of

the unemployed reached 5,388 mln people.

It was the highest index

in 2007.

Meantime, according to the government employment service data, in February, 2008 the number of the officially registered unemployed people by monthly basis grew insignificantly – by 1,1% or up to 1,574 mln from 1,552 mln people.

The number of economic active population, as calculated by Rosstat, totaled 75,4 mln people by the end of February, 2008 or around 53% from the total Russian population.