The jobless rate fell to 7.9% in the fourth quarter from 8.4% in the third quarter. In the corresponding period of 2019, the unemployment rate was 6%.
The number of unemployed people decreased to 75,600 in the December quarter from 81,400 in the previous quarter. Meantime, employment fell by 7.500 to 885.500, while the number of inactive people increased by 11.300 to 426.200. The youth unemployment rate, which applies to 15 to 24 years, declined to 11.3% in the fourth quarter from 14.8% in the prior quarter.