Unemployment in Bulgaria is down to 9.23 per cent, a decrease for the fifth consecutive month, the state employment agency revealed on August 16 2010.

Unemployment levels are down in July 2010 by 0.03 per cent, compared to figures from the previous month. Official figures state that in July, 341 999 people registered at employment agencies, 1010 fewer than the previous month, Bulgarian media said.

Sofia performed the best of all regions in Bulgaria. Unemployment in the capital during July stood at 3.53 per cent, followed by the port city of Bourgas in second place with 5.38 per cent, and the central Bulgarian town of Gabrovo, with 6.39 per cent.

Other areas in Bulgaria, which, according to the report, have a "lower than average rate of unemployment" are Varna with 6.53 per cent, Stara Zagora with 7.33 per cent, Plovdiv with 8.11 per cent, Dobrich with 8.71 per cent, Pernik with 8.77 per cent, Veliko Turnovo with 8.92 per cent, Haskovo – 9 per cent, and Rousse – 9.07 per cent.

A total of 17 regions in Bulgaria had unemployment levels higher than the country's average. The town of Smolyan ranked the worst in the table with 16.46 per cent, followed by Targovishte – 15.83 per cent and Montana – 15.47 per cent.

According to the report, a total of 39 626 people registered in job offices in July, mostly from the branches of services and industry with 55.4 per cent) and 19 per cent respectively.

Concurrently, there were 18 235 vacancies on offer in July 2010, a rise of 5914 on June. About 13 people were competing for one position on average, a drop from June when the number was 16, the report said.