Romanian unemployment rate reaches 8.1 percent in first quarter

The unemployment rate in Romania reached 8.1 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), up from 7.5 percent the previous quarter. This is the unemployment rate based on the International Employment Office standards. The unemployment rate was of 6.9 percent last year. Romania has 9.7 million active workers, out of which 787,000 are officially unemployed, according to data reflecting the situation at the end of the first quarter. The occupancy rate among 15 to 64 year old was of 57 percent during the first quarter of the year, which is below the previous quarter and below the first quarter of last year. The employment rate among 15 to 24 year old people was of only 23.6 percent, while for the 20 to 64 year old, it was of 61.6 percent. The International Employment Office used certain criteria to include unemployed people in the official unemployment statistics: they should be 15 to 74 year old, without a job, would be available to start work in two weeks and have been actively looking for a job in the last four weeks.