Sweden Unemployment Rate Rises To 8.8%

(RTTNews) - Sweden's jobless rate increased further in February to the highest level in four months, figures from Statistics Sweden showed on Friday.

The unadjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.8 percent in February from 8.6 percent in January. In the same month last year, the jobless rate was 9.4 percent.

There were 507,100 unemployed people in February, up from 489,700 in the previous month.

The youth unemployment rate, which applies to the 15 to 24 age group, rose to 24.5 percent from 23.3 percent in January.

Data showed that the employment rate climbed to 68.7 percent from 68.0 percent.