Unemployment in Bulgaria in January 2012 was 11.1 per cent, with 50 245 people newly registered as having lost their jobs.

Accoring to the Employment Agency, about half of the newly jobless had been employed in the private sector.

More than 10 000 of those who lost their jobs came from what the agency described as "industry", followed by 7400 who had been on the public payroll, followed in turn by those who had been employed in the sectors, respectively, of trade, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, transport, communications, real estate and other businesses.

In January, 12 212 previously unemployed people started new jobs, about 3000 more than in the previous month. The agency said that 21 142 jobs had been offered through it, of which 4696 were in the private sector.