IMF estimates one million jobless by mid-2010

The unemployment will continue to increase in the first semester and it is likely to reach one million jobless people, IMF mission chief Jeffrey Franks declared on Wednesday in an interview for Romanian TV channel Pro TV, at the end of the one week evaluation of the stand-by agreement.

„Personally, I believe that the unemployment will continue to rise, probably until mid-2010. (…) Overall, one million jobless is definitely a possibility”, Franks said.

According to the Romanian Employment Agency (ANOFM) data, the unemployment rate in December 2009 was 7.8%, against 7.5% in November. The total number of jobless was 709,383 persons.