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The unemployment rate rose to 7.2% in the third quarter from 6.6% in the second quarter. In the same quarter last year, the jobless rate was 5.9%.
The number of unemployed persons increased to 196,500 from 177,800 in the second quarter. The number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of 2019 was 161,200 persons. The employment rate fell to 72.4% in the second quarter from 73.4% in the same quarter of the previous year.
In a separate statement, the Bratislava-based statistics agency said that retail sales in Slovakia increased 2.8% year-on-year in October, following a 5.8% rise in the previous month.
It was the fourth consecutive month of growth in retail activity, as the economy gradually recovers from the pandemic shock.
On a monthly basis, retail trade went down 1.4%, for the first time since April, after increasing 1.3% in the previous month.
