Men and urban residents most affected by unemployment

The unemployment rate in Moldova increased, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (BNS). Men and urban residents find it more difficult than others to get a job, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the 4th quarter of 2010, the number of unemployed people reached 86,000, which is by 12,000 higher than in the same period of 2009. BNS data show men and city dwellers were the most affected by unemployment. In the 4th quarter of 2010, men accounted for 61% of the unemployed. In urban areas, 61% of population was jobless. The unemployed rate among youth aged 15-24 was 17.2% and 13.6% among those aged 15-29. BNS statistics reveal that agriculture remains the largest employment field. In October-December 2010, 238,000 people, or 22.3% of the employed, worked in agriculture. However, two thirds of them work on personal farms. The rest of working population, 829,000, was engaged in industry (13%), construction (5%) and service sector (59%). Most people work in the private sector (61%), while only 31% in the public sphere. 316,000 people were declared to have gone abroad working or looking for a job. Two thirds of them are men and 69% are from villages.