Ministry of Labor: In Russia, unemployment is growing

According to the Ministry of Labor, the number of officially registered unemployed in the Russian Federation over the past month and a half has increased by 3.2%, Interfax reports.

“From December 18, 2013 to January 29, 2014, the number of unemployed citizens registered in the employment service grew by 3.2%, or 28 thousand 805 people and, as of January 29, amounted to 917 thousand 139 people,” the press service of the ministry said on Wednesday with reference to the monitoring of the situation with employment in the regions.

During this period, the number of unemployed has decreased in eight regions, and the greatest decrease was noted in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the ministry notes.

"An increase in the number of unemployed citizens registered in the employment service was noted in 75 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The greatest growth was noted in the Astrakhan, Sakhalin, Kursk, Rostov regions," the Ministry of Labor said.

Recall that experts estimate the unemployment rate in 2013 in the range from 5.7% to 6% of the economically active population. Throughout the year, unemployment indicators grew, although not very significantly, and exceeded similar ones in 2012. An increase in unemployment level, even without social consequences, in 2013 happened for the first time in the last few years - after 2009 it was steadily declining every year.

At the end of January 2014, the Ministry of Economic Development received the task of evaluating the situation at large enterprises in single -industry towns - the main "foci" of hidden and potential unemployment. The government wants to understand where problems may arise and help.

This year, it is ready to spend 51.5 billion rubles on the support of the single -industry towns - the amount comparable to the costs for these purposes in 2008-2010, when, for example, the Pikalevites overlapped federal highways, and Vladimir Putin personally convinced Oleg Deripaska not to close the plant.