At the beginning of 2006, the growth of the number of rightful claimants of unemployment benefit from 2005 continued. The growth was most intense in January, when the number of recipients of was by 11.9 % higher than in January 2005. The months following noted their gradual decline with minor oscillation upwards in the summer months. At the end of 2006, when the ESS paid unemployment benefit to 15,391 persons, their number was by 13.0 % lower than in December 2005. On average, 17,203 unemployed persons a month received unemployment benefit in 2006, which means 0.6 % more rightful claimants a month on average in comparison to the recorded monthly average in 2005 (17,099 persons).

Until the adoption of the Employment and Unemployment Insurance Act, which entered into force in July 2006, an insured person, whose right to the unemployment benefit expired, and an insured person, whose work relationship as a trainee, concluded for a fixed period of time shorter than 12 months, terminated, and who fulfilled the condition of income (80.0 % of guaranteed wage per family member) and of means-test, was able to assert unemployment assistance. With the change of the law, unemployment assistance is no longer classified among the rights arising from insurance against unemployment. In accordance with the transitional provisions, the insured persons, who exercised their right to unemployment assistance until the adoption of the law amendment, retain their right to the extent and for the duration in accordance with regulations in force until the adoption of the law. At the end of 2006, unemployment assistance was received only by 3,491 unemployed persons, on average, the ESS paid unemployment assistance to 5,477 unemployed persons a month in 2006.

In 2006, the share of unemployment insurance recipients (unemployment benefits and unemployment assistance) amounted to 26.4 % on average and was higher than the average share in 2005 by 1 percentage point. At the end of the year, there were 24.1 % unemployment insurance recipients among the unemployed persons.