EMPLOYMENT RATE IN BOSNIA SLIGHTLY INCREASED IN 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 17,2008) – Unemployment rate has slightly decreased in Bosnia in the year 2007. Comapred to 2006, the rate decreased per 2,1 per cent; employment rate increased per 1,5 per cent.

The unemployment rate in Bosnia mounted to 27 per cent in 2007. In 2006, the rate was even bigger – 31 per cent. 43,9 per cent was the activity rate.

Head of the Bosnian Employment Bureau Zdenko Milinovic stated at a press conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that there were 849.570 registered employed and 346.745 registered unemployed persons in Bosnia.

Milinovic stated that the rates are significantly higher with men. Activity rate is 26 per cent; unemployment rate with men is per 21 per cent higher.

Unemployment rate with women was 32,9 per cent.

The highest unemployment rate is with young people, aged between 15 and 24 (58,4 per cent), the lowest was with the persons aged between 50 and 64 (17,8 per cent). Employment and activities’ rates were the highest with the people aged between 25 and 49 (67 and 48,8 per cent).

Most of the employed persons have the high school education completed (62 per cent), and are followed by employees who have the primary school education completed (23,5 per cent). 13,9 per cent of people have obtained higher education.

Commercial sector has the highest employment rate (47,6 per cent) and is followed by the non-agricultural sector (32,6 per cent). There are 19,8 per cent of the employees in the agricultural sector.

The survey shows that 13 per cent of the unemployed persons have been looking for job in the period shorter than 18 moths. 50 per cent of them have been looking for a job longer than five years. That is the consequence of the post-war situation and transition.

BiH Statistics Bureau officials expressed concerns over the high participation of the inactive persons. Most of them are aged between 15 and 49 and make 46 per cent of the non-active persons.

The survey encompassed 9.999 households in Bosnia. The survey was conducted for the purpose of monitoring, measuring and estimating the economic and social situation in Bosnia. On the basis of the survey, an estimate of the number of people who are able to work is being conducted, as well as data on demographic, education and social and economic characteristics of the population.

This survey is a part of several years’ long program “Creation of Basis for Statistic System in Bosnia”, financed by the World Bank,the British DFID, theJapanese government and UN’s Development program.

UNDP Resident Ambassador Christine McNab and DFID representative Gus McKay stated this project is extremely successful and important for Bosnia and added that it is one of the projects aimed to support construction of Bosnia's institutional capacities.
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