Unemployment up to 8.6% in December

The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic jumped by more than half a percentage point in December to 8.6%, the highest rate since April of last year. The number of registered job-seekers also crossed the half-million mark to 508,451, according to information from the Ministry of Labour. Analysts contacted by the Czech Press Agency put the increase down to seasonal factors but estimate further rises in unemployment numbers over the coming months, as concerns over the fate of the eurozone continue on the financial markets.