November 20 (SeeNews) - Unemployed people in North Macedonia numbered 153,799 at the end of October, up from 101,813 at the end of October 2019, data by the country's employment agency showed.
On a monthly comparison basis, the number of unemployed people increased by 1.6% in October, as there were 151,359 unemployed people in the country at the end of September, the data showed.
North Macedonia confirmed its first coronavirus case in late February. The government closed shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses in March to limit the spread of the Covid-19 disease, but started easing restrictions on movement in late May, which led to an increase in daily infections.
New coronavirus cases have risen at an alarming rate recently, prompting the government to limit the working hours of bars and restaurants to 9 pm earlier in November. On Thursday, the government declared a state of crisis to deal with the crisis more efficiently.
On Thursday, North Macedonia confirmed 1,198 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total count to 51,213, health ministry data shows. So far, 1,423 people have died from Covid-19 in North Macedonia.
North Macedonia's government is currently implementing a fourth package of measures aimed at reducing the impact of the outbreak with incentives such as social assistance schemes for the unemployed, low-paid workers and retirees and wage subsidies for firms affected by the crisis.