Hungary's unemployment rate increased to the highest level in eight months in January, and exceeded economists' expectations marginally, latest data showed Tuesday.
The average unemployment rate for the three months ended January increased to 11.2 percent from 10.7 percent in the previous period, which was revised up from 10.6 percent, the Central Statistical Office said.
The latest figure was 0.1 percentage point higher than a year earlier. Economists had forecast the jobless rate to rise to 11.1 percent.
As much as 46.8 percent of the unemployed people had been searching for a job for one year or more, the agency said.
The unemployment rate among youth, aged between 15 and 24, was 28.4 percent, higher than the average rate of 27.4 percent recorded during the three months ended December.
The total number of unemployed persons in the country increased to 486,400 in January from 468,300 in the previous month, data showed.
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