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Date stated in the original: 1 March 2016. Review note: 6 November 2026.

The text of the original article

Bulgaria: unemployment rate falling — image from the original website

Unemployment fell to its lowest level in four and a half years in January, according to Eurostat. The official figures were announced on Tuesday, contradicting analysts' forecasts expressing concern about the faltering global economy recently.

Eurostat figures show that unemployment in the 19-country euro area — Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland and France — fell to 10.3% in January from 10.4% previously.

Among Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in January 2016 were recorded in Germany (4.3%), the Czech Republic (4.5%), Malta and the United Kingdom (both 5.1%). The highest rates were observed in Greece (24.6%) and Spain (20.5%).

Bulgaria ranks 14th with an unemployment rate of 8.6%. Compared with a year earlier, unemployment in January 2016 fell in 24 Member States, including Bulgaria.

The marked fall in unemployment in Bulgaria demonstrates the economy’s good health and the sustained recovery in investment.