Trends in the area of unemployment benefits and unemployment assistance in 2004 resembled those of previous years. The fall in the number of people entitled to unemployment benefits continued, while the growth in the number of recipients of unemployment assistance came to a halt. At the end of 2004 there were 16,380 unemployed people entitled to unemployment benefit, which was 3.9% fewer than at the end of 2003. On average, 16,142 recipients were receiving unemployment benefit. The number of people receiving unemployment assistance at the end of 2004 was 5,979, which was 1.4% fewer than in 2003. On average, 6,083 unemployed people were in receipt of unemployment assistance in 2004. The ESS should be commended for its speedy handling of requests for the granting of unemployment benefit: with the help of modern applied support and efficient decision-making procedures, 97% of all applications were dealt with within one month. Between May and December 2004 the ESS also ensured that EU social security provisions relating to unemployment insurance were applied in a coordinated manner; 20 benefit recipients transferred their right to receive such benefits to Slovenia, and one recipient from Slovenia made use of the provisions to seek employment in another member state.