11 September 2003 17:56
Russian unemployment rate exaggerated - Labour Ministry
Moscow, 11 September: The real unemployment rate in Russia is significantly lower than official statistics data
provided by the State Statistics Committee, Russia's Labour [and Social Development] Minister Aleksandr Pochinok
told a news conference Thursday [11 September].
According to the calculation methods of the International Labour Organization, used by the committee, there are about
6m unemployed people in Russia, he said, adding that the majority of them are working in the shadow economy and evade
tax payments.
This fact is becoming apparent in the process of issuing migration cards and reforming the state pension system, he
noted.
Currently, only 1.8m people are officially registered as unemployed, accounting for 2 per cent of Russia's
labour force, he noted.
The total number of unemployed people in Russia stood at 5.63m as of August 1, down 2 per cent on the month, and up 6
per cent on the year, according to data provided by the State Statistics Committee.
As of August 1 the number of officially registered jobless people amounted to 1.532m, down 0.2 per cent on the month
and up 16.7 per cent on the year.
Russia's labour force was estimated at 72m as of the end of July, which is about half the country's total
population, the committee said.
[Prime-TASS news agency] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
