Unemployment is deepening: the number of unemployed is increasing, with one in seven workers falling into downtime

In Lithuania, there are currently about 1.38 million. employees, show data from rekvizitai.lt. So I had to stop about every seventh.

A total of 24.2 thousand companies benefited from subsidies for downtime and 26.1 thousand companies also benefited from subsidies after downtime. By comparison, this would represent about one-tenth of the companies operating, cr.lt data shows.

These two support measures have already cost € 167 million and € 399 million, respectively. Inga Balnanosienė, Director of the Employment Service, presented the situation of the labor market to the Tripartite Council. However, he says that downtime and post-downtime benefits cost the state cheaper than the unemployed.

The unemployment rate is currently approaching 15 percent.

In addition to the usual unemployment benefits, this year 315.7 thousand applications for a new job search benefit have been requested, amounting to 200 euros when a person is not entitled to the usual unemployment benefit from social security, or to 42 euros when an unemployed person is entitled to social security unemployment benefit. shows data from the Employment Service.

34,000 people who have not worked anywhere for 2 years or more have registered with the Employment Service this year to receive a benefit of € 200.

Registered unemployment was 14.9%

The head of the Employment Service shared that there are 256.8 thousand unemployed in Lithuania, and the registered unemployment rate is 14.9 percent, according to November 1. data.

“Even after the number of employees decreased by 47.6 thousand, the employment level in Lithuania in September-October still reaches 70%. Population of working age,” says I. Balnanosienė.

The fastest decline was in the services sector, the sector with the strongest economic consequences. Employment in the construction and agriculture sectors decreased due to seasonality.

“We have significantly higher figures this year. If we generally had about 100,000 clients, now we have about half a million, of which more than 240,000. People are unemployed. As I mentioned, 235,000, almost 240 thousand have completely lost their jobs and the number has multiplied by 1.5 ”, said I. Balnanosienė.

Throughout the year, unemployment increased by 6.2 percent of the total number of people of working age. Most of the unemployed are registered in Lazdijai, Rokiškis, Kalvarija. Unemployment is lower in Klaipeda County, where the port and industrial sectors dominate.

“Analyzing the dynamics of the number of unemployed, we had the biggest jump in August-September. The registration is already decreasing this month. As a result of the increase in unemployment, the dynamics of job vacancies is decreasing. We had the highest peak of vacancies in July and August, when 40 thousand jobs were registered at the same time. vacancies “, explains I. Balnanosienė.

Then the increase in vacancies was due to the resumption of business activities after the quarantine.

200 euros were not only received by those who had previously worked

The long-term unemployed represent 23.3 per cent of all unemployed, and this proportion is also growing.

“Almost one in three people, or only one in three registered with the Employment Service, receives unemployment insurance benefits. Only one in three clients has enough experience. Mostly, of course, women, again because of the same reason, “said the head of the service.

I. Balnanosienė assures that more frequently those who worked under a permanent contract receive an additional benefit for job search, there are 54 thousand of them. However, there are also 34,000 people who have not worked anywhere for two years or more and have signed up for a new benefit: they have “come out of the shadows.”

“Employment is also growing as the number of vacancies grows. However, the problem of structural unemployment is getting worse. Those who work in aviation, hotels, travel and tourism do not currently claim any unskilled jobs or other qualifications are just waiting for their sector to recover. After the announcement of the second quarantine, the training centers, which were able to provide training services, continue, but some simply cannot continue, “said I. Balnanosienė.

Unlike previous periods, women are more likely to lose their jobs during a pandemic.

“This is the situation this year, for the first time in five years, when women’s unemployment is higher than men’s. Unemployment among men was generally higher. Youth and female unemployment is increasing rapidly. Young people have not been able to establish themselves in the labor market due to the first and second quarantines and the economic slowdown. And women work more frequently in the sectors, services, catering, hotels, which are the most affected ”, says I. Balnanosienė.

At 257 euros – one hundred thousand self-employed

As of August 16, 100,000 applications from freelancers had been received for a grant of 257 euros. More than half of them were self-employed.

In October, new quarantines began in the districts, then 36.4 thousand applications were submitted. people.

“The mass will be next month, because the universal quarantine was introduced in November,” explained I. Balnanosienė.