Georgia, Tbilisi, May 25 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
The unemployment rate in Georgia has decreased by 1.2 percent to 15.1 percent.
The Georgian National Statistics Office said a rise in activity and employment was recorded. These figures, compared with 2010, rose by 1.0 percent and 1.6 percent respectively. Activity and employment rate increased in both urban and rural areas.
In 2011, compared with the previous year, the number of both employed, and self-employed increased in the same way, so that their ratio remained virtually unchanged.
The unemployment rate among the rural population is lower than in urban areas. However, the unemployment rate in the settlements of rural type decreased by 1.3 percent and in urban settlements - by 0.7 percent.
Decrease in unemployment rates is noted in the Shida Kartli region (3.8 percent), Imereti (2.4 percent) and Kakheti (2.2 percent).
The unemployment rate fell almost equally both among men and women. In particular, among women it fell by 1.3 percent and among men - 1.2 percent.
Similar to the level of activity, the employment rate among women in 2011 was the highest in the last six years, and among men - over the past seven years.
Consideration of the unemployment by age groups shows that the unemployment rate declined in all age categories excepting 15-19 years.
The highest unemployment rate is in the traditional age group of 20-24 years, while the lowest - 65 +. The reason for this is that people of this age group, mostly pensioners, most of whom are not employed and not seeking work, and thus, belong to the inactive population.