New data from the Labor Directorate shows the 26% unemployment rate in Suðurnes (Reykjanes Peninsula) in southwestern Iceland. There has been an increase of 23.3 percent since December. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate rose from 10.7 percent in December to 11.6 percent in January. The Labor Directorate expects this figure to fall to between 11.6 and 11.9 percent in February.
When counting people partially paid by the state as part of the government’s COVID-19 financial support package, the total unemployment rate in Iceland now stands at 12.8%, representing 26,403 people. This is the largest number of people ever receiving such benefits. Nationally, the unemployment rate is particularly high among foreigners, at 24 percent.
The situation in Suðurnes is much worse than in other parts of the country. There, the unemployment rate among women in January was 29.1 percent and among men 24 percent.
“These are the worst statistics we have ever seen” says Guðbjörg Kristmundsdóttir, head of VSFK, a trade union and fishermen’s association in and around Keflavík.
“We were hoping things would improve in the new year, but it doesn’t look like it will improve in the near future.
“Situation [zatrudnienia] has never been so bad “ regrets. However, he hopes to improve this summer.
The number of people who have been unemployed for over a year is growing nationwide. According to the latest data, there are currently 4508 of them.
Source: Yle
