Unemployment in Russia grows by 150,000 in past 2-3 months

MOSCOW: Unemployment has increased in Russia, exceeding seasons fluctuations, due to the world economic crisis, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development Maxim Topilin has said.

"The number of officially registered unemployed people in Russia is 1.4 million compared to 1.25 million at the beginning of autumn," he told Ekho Moskvy radio.

"Over the past two to three months, we have registered an increase in unemployment above seasons fluctuations," the deputy minister said.

The ministry has stepped up the monitoring of the labour market, switching from a monthly to a weekly basis. At the same time, Topilin noted, "There is no upsurge in unemployment in Russia."

He believes that the labour market will soon adapt to the unfavourable global factors. Prompt changes in labour legislation should help it do so.

Topilin called for updating legislation regulating employment. In his opinion, advertisements offering a job to people aged 35-40 should not be allowed. "Such advertisements have a negative effect on the emotional state of people and should be outlawed as they are in many other countries," he said.

However he stressed the need to intensify retraining of able-bodied people.

Another way to alleviate negative consequences of the crisis is to organise job fairs in major economic centres across the country.