The jobless rate rose to 8.1% in the first quarter from 7.9% in the fourth quarter last year. In the corresponding period of 2019, the unemployment rate was 7.6%.

The number of unemployed people decreased to 74,700 in the March quarter from 75,600 in the previous quarter.

The youth unemployment rate, which applies to 15 to 24 years, rose to 16.3% in the fourth quarter from 11.3% in the prior quarter. In Q1, 39.700 unemployed persons were out of a job for up to 5 months and 14.600 were unemployed for 6-11 months.