Cyprus unemployment accelerates

The growth in unemployment numbers in Cyprus accelerated in October, as the number of registered unemployed rose by 72.9% compared with October 2008 to reach 17,263.
In September, unemployment had risen by 70.7% and in August it had risen by 64.7%.
The main sectors affected were construction (an increase of 2,067), retail and wholesale trade (1,169), real estate and business activities (763), hotels and restaurants (757), manufacturing (590) and public administration (513).
New registrations rose by 745 over the same month of 2008.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of registered unemployed reached 20,283 in October, recording an increase of 2.0% compared with the previous month.