TABLE-Slovak Jan jobless rate up m/m to 9.45 pct

    Slovakia's unemployment rate rose to 9.45 
percent in January from 9.4 percent a month earlier, the Labour 
Office said on Tuesday. 
     
SLOVAK UNEMPLOYMENT         JAN 07      DEC 06      JAN 06 
 pct of workforce            9.45        9.40        11.82 
number of available 
  jobless                   245,635     240,567     302,305 
     
    NOTE. The number of available jobless shows how many people 
registered as unemployed by labour offices are able to start 
work shortly. 
    The country's jobless rate hit a record low of 9.12 percent 
in November. 
    The Slovak jobless rate has fallen steadily from around 20 
percent four years ago after the former government of Mikulas 
Dzurinda took measures to crack down on abuses of the welfare 
system. 
    The rising number of foreign direct investment projects in 
the country has also helped create new jobs and lower 
unemployment. 
     
 (Reporting by Martin Santa in Bratislava) 
 ((Editing by Alan Crosby; editorial@reuters.sk; Reuters 
Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net; +421 2 5341 
8402 )) 
  Keywords: SLOVAKIA JOBLESS/  
    

[Reuters/Finance.cz]