Ljubljana, Oct 6 (IANS): The number of unemployed persons in Slovenia fell to its lowest level since the country's independence in 1991, the Employment Service of Slovenia reported.

At the end of September, 52,043 people were out of work in the country, 3.5 per cent fewer than in August and 21.3 per cent fewer than in the same month of 2021, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the first nine months of this year, there were on average 57,918 registered unemployed people, which was 24.9 per cent less than in the same period of 2021, the service said on its website on Wednesday.

However, the number of new jobs available in September also fell by 14.1 per cent compared to August and by 2.5 per cent year-on-year. Most new jobs were available for workers in manufacturing and construction, and for cleaners.

Analysts believe that the slowdown of economic growth, which is expected to continue in the coming months due to a general slowdown in the EU amid the global energy crisis, could push the jobless numbers further up.

Slovenia expects economic growth of 5 per cent this year, down from 8.2 per cent in 2021. Its economy is export-oriented and the main export items are cars, car parts, pharmaceuticals and household appliances.