MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

In spite of economic upsurge Chile's employment lagging

Although Chile's economy is not growing as fast as many business leaders would like, a recent study by the University of Chile confirmed that unemployment in the Greater Santiago area fell to 9.4%, making it 1.1 point lower than the same time last year.

"This survey shows employment is picking up, which could suggest that the economic activity is rising towards the end of the year," said University of Chile professor Joseph Ramos.

Still, others are less optimistic, noting that Chile's government is now predicting for 2006 the lowest GDP growth in three years as a result of increased energy costs and output disruptions at the nation's copper mines.

The Central Bank lowered its forecast for 2006 GDP growth in September to between 4.8 and 5.3%, down from its original forecast of 5 to 6%.

The Chilean national joblessness rate fell in the June-to-August period to 8.5%, compared with 8.8% in the May-to-July period. The Santiago Times/a>