According to the monthly statistical summary prepared by the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, that total of 163,824 subsidies paid to the unemployed translates into a monthly reduction of 101 beneficiaries and a year-on-year reduction of 49,144 beneficiaries.

In December, females represented 56.9% of beneficiaries of unemployment benefits and males 43.1%, with a decrease in unemployment benefits processed to women by 0.9%, compared to the previous month, while in the case of men there was an increase of 1.1%.

Data referring to the various types of unemployment benefit indicate that unemployment benefit covered 126,723 people in December, a number that reflects a drop of 0.3% compared to the previous month, and 13.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The number of beneficiaries of the initial unemployment benefit was 7,322, with the GEP recording monthly growth of 17.3% and 10.6% compared to the same month of the previous year.

Statistical data from Social Security reveal that the average value of unemployment benefits was 588.02 euros in December, remaining stable compared to the 588.81 recorded in November, and corresponding to the highest value since the beginning of the series, in January 2006.