Entitlements deriving from unemployment insurance

Unemployment benefit

The number of persons entitled to unemployment benefit continued to decline in 2007, owing to favourable trends on the labour market. In 2007 the entitlement to unemployment benefit was claimed again by 20,061 claimants, signalling a reduction of 17.6 % from 2006, with the main reduction being in persons following ordinary cancellation of employment contact (both for bankruptcies and business reasons), while there were also fewer entitled persons upon termination of fixed-term contracts. At the end of the year there were 14,270 persons entitled to unemployment benefit, which was 7.3 % less than at the end of 2006. On average, 15,041 unemployed persons received monthly unemployment benefit in 2007.

Unemployment assistance

With the amendment to the Employment and Insurance Against Unemployment Act, which entered into force in July 2006, unemployment assistance is no longer ranked as an entitlement from unemployment insurance. In accordance with the transitional provisions, however, insured persons who claimed their entitlement to unemployment assistance up until the entry into force of the revised act, retain their entitlement in a scope and duration in accordance with the regulations in force until the revised act becames effective. Equally, insured persons whose entitlement to unemployment assistance during unemployment has been suspended, may once there is no further reason for suspension request payment of unemployment assistance for the remainder of the period of receiving unemployment assistance. At the end of 2007 unemployment assistance was being received by just 430 unemployed persons, and on average the ESS paid unemployment assistance to 1,542 persons each month in 2007.

Unemployed persons entitled to unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance and financial social assistance