Cyprus jobless rise, but at a slower pace in February

Unemployment continued to rise in February but at a slower pace than in previous months, according to the latest data from the Statistical Service.
The number of unemployed registered at the District Labour Offices on the last day of February 2010, reached 23,949, marking a rise of 7,566 or 46.2% over February 2009.
This was lower than the increase of 49.8% recorded in January and the peak of 73% in November.
The main increases were in the sectors of construction (up 1,615), public administration (1,496), reflecting lay-offs of temporary workers; retail and wholesale trade (1,122); hotels and restaurants (933); manufacturing (636); and real estate and business activities (an increase of 617).
There was an increase of 344 in the number of unemployed newcomers to the labour market.
Based on the seasonally adjusted data the number of registered unemployed for February 2010 rose by 1.3% compared to the previous month and reached 20,101 persons.