By Farah Waleed.
Tripoli, 25 March 2013:
Unemployment in Libya is 15 percent, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and . . .[restrict]Rehabilitation, Rabia Ammar.
Speaking today, Monday, the spokesperson told the Libya Herald that the figure has been worked out from the number of applicants to the Ministry of Labour looking for a job in the state sector.
The total number of unemployed did not exceed 160,000 people, she said.
On the face of it, Libyan unemployment is therefore decreasing. The figure was put at 19.50 percent in 2011 and 20.70 percent in 2009.
However, it has been widely reported that unemployment is at 30 percent and is particularly severe among the young.
Until now there has been no an accurate data on employment rates for Libyans working in state and private sectors – or indeed on any other area of life in the country. The implementation of the National Number Programme will, it is hoped, change that. [/restrict]
