MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile has the lowest unemployment in the region

Chile is the South American country with the lowest unemployment rate while Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay figure at the other end of the list according to a release from the United Nations Latinamerican Economic Commission, Cepal.

The vigorous expansion of the Chilean economy, 6% in the second quarter, generated the greatest number of jobs in the last twelve years, 266.850 with the overall unemployment rate falling to 8,6%, compared to 9,7% a year ago and 8,7% in the previous 2005 quarter.

The unemployment list follows with Bolivia, 9,5%; Peru, 9,6%; Brazil, 10,5%; Ecuador, 11%; Paraguay, 11,2%; Argentina, 12,1%; Uruguay, 13%; Venezuela, 15,3% and Colombia 15,5%.

"Chile's performance is an unprecedented accomplishment in over a decade", said Chile's Labour minister Yerko Ljubetic.

"The job creation responds mainly to a good performance of the economy and above all confidence in current policies and in the future", he added.