Steady rise in unemployment

THE rate of unemployment has been rising steadily this year, though not at an alarming pace, Minister of Labour Christos Taliadoros said yesterday.

The minister’s comments came after discussion of the issue at the House Employment Committee with employers’ associations and trade unions.

Taliadoros said experts would be examining official statistics in a bid to track down the causes of the phenomenon.

Unemployment stood at 3.9 per cent for the first half of the year, up from 3.7 per cent for the corresponding period in 2004.

The figures show a blanket rise in joblessness across all professions and all areas of the island. The most vulnerable group are persons aged 15 to 24 without high-school diplomas.

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