The Household Labour Force Survey revealed a notable increase of 115 thousand unemployed individuals aged 15 years and above, totaling 3 million 116 thousand persons compared to the previous month. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points, reaching 9.0%, with rates estimated at 7.5% for men and 11.8% for women.

The seasonally adjusted employment rate saw a decline to 48.2%, as the number of employed persons dropped by 236 thousand to 31 million 611 thousand in November 2023. This represents a 0.4 percentage point decrease in the employment rate. For men, the employment rate stood at 65.4%, while for women, it was 31.3%.

The labour force participation rate, seasonally adjusted, was 52.9%, with a decrease of 0.2 percentage points. The total number of individuals in the labour force was reported as 34 million 726 thousand, reflecting a decrease of 122 thousand compared to the previous month. The participation rate was 70.7% for men and 35.5% for women.

In the 15-24 age group, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate increased to 16.5%, rising by 0.3 percentage points from the previous month. The breakdown by gender revealed an estimated 14.2% for men and 20.7% for women.

According to the seasonal adjustment method, estimates for previous months will be published after revision.

The seasonally and calendar adjusted average weekly actual working hours in November 2023 were reported as 43.8, showing a decrease of 0.2 hours compared to the previous month.

Additionally, the seasonally adjusted composite measure of the labour underutilization rate increased to 22.7% in November 2023. This composite measure includes time-related underemployment, potential labour force, and unemployment. The combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was 14.9%, while the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was estimated at 17.3%. (ILKHA)