MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Magallanes region has lowest unemployment in Chile with 1.7%

Unemployment in Chile's extreme south region of Magallanes remained almost unchanged during the third quarter confirming it as the lowest in the country with 1.7%, compared to the national average of 7.8%.

According to Chile's Statistics Institute, INE, 1.7% is 1.5 percentage points less that the same period a year ago and a small 0.1% fall compared to the previous June-August mobile quarter. In practical terms this means that Magallanes region labour force totals 66.450 people of which 65.400 have jobs and 1.150 are unemployed. Compared to a year ago the number of unemployed has fallen by 970, and the 2008 third quarter's number includes 770 hard core unemployed and 210 first time job seekers Regional statistics show that unemployment in Punta Arenas was 0.4%; Puerto Natales, 5.8% and Porvernir, 6.9%. The working force in Punta Arenas totals 47.910 of which 47.730 employed and 190 out of a job. This makes Punta Arenas regional capital with the lowest unemployment. At the other extreme is Lota, from Bio Bio region with 15.1%. At national level Chile's unemployment in the third quarter (7.8%) is higher than the same period a year ago (7.7%), but 0.4 percentage points less than the previous June-August quarter, 8.2%, according to INE. In metropolitan Santiago, Chile's capital and where most population is concentrated, unemployment was up 0.4%, which can be explained by the increase in unemployed, 11.5% as well as the expansion of the work force 5.6%, compared to the creation of jobs, 5.2%. Besides the number of people inactive continues to drop, -3.7%. The greater increase in the Chilean labour force and employment occurred among women, 6.1% and 5.5% respectively, that have been the most active element in employment statistics.