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The National Data Agency reported that the total number of employed people reached 29.266 million in September, an increase of 113,000 from a year earlier. This gain followed rises of 108,000 in July and 184,000 in August, though it represented a slowdown from the prior month. The employment rate for ages 15 to 64 stood at 70.6 percent, marking the highest September level since comparable records began, the agency said.
Manufacturing employment turned positive for the first time in 27 months with an addition of 16,000 jobs, according to the National Data Agency. The agency linked the rebound to export strength in sectors such as chemicals, fabricated metal products and other transport equipment. Health and social welfare services posted the largest sectoral gain with 207,000 new positions while transportation and warehousing added 54,000 and finance and insurance rose by 32,000.
Several industries recorded losses, with the accommodation and restaurant sector shedding 97,000 jobs, the steepest decline since February 2021, the agency’s September employment trends showed. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries lost 94,000 positions and construction employment fell by 48,000 for the 29th consecutive month. These reductions were partly attributed to base effects from government support measures implemented the previous year.
Youth employment remained a point of concern as the number of employed people aged 15 to 29 dropped by 147,000, extending a decline that has now lasted 47 months, National Data Agency figures indicated. The youth employment rate fell 1.1 percentage points to 44 percent, continuing a 29-month downward trend. By contrast, employment for those aged 65 and older increased by 254,000, exceeding the overall net job gain and highlighting demographic shifts in the workforce.
The unemployment rate declined 0.1 percentage point to 2 percent with the number of jobless individuals decreasing by 34,000 to 600,000, according to the data released on October 16. The overall employment rate for those aged 15 and above eased 0.2 percentage point to 63.5 percent while the number of economically inactive people rose by 179,000 to 16.18 million. Third-quarter employment averaged a gain of 135,000 from the year-earlier period, the agency reported.
The latest labor market data builds on a recovery that began after a contraction in May, with consistent gains registered since June, the National Data Agency noted in its report. Officials highlighted that manufacturing’s return to growth after 26 months of losses reflects improving business conditions tied to export performance. The agency has tracked these trends as part of its monthly employment releases, which provide breakdowns across age groups, industries and regions.
