Nezavisne novine: More than 1.000 employees in the Federation of BiH have been dismissed during January because of the economic crisis and have asked for assistance from the cantonal employment agencies.

According to data of the Agency for work and employment of BiH, around 5.500 of dismissed employees have in December last year registered themselves in the employment bureaus all over the whole country, which is much more in relation to the previous months in 2008.

From the cantonal employment agencies in the FBiH they say that the number of newly registered unemployed in the evidences of bureaus in December has significantly grown in relation to earlier months. In almost all cantonal bureaus they expect more significant increase of number of people who will be left without job in the upcoming period.

More checkouts than registrations

In the Institute of PDI of the FBiH they say that at the end of last and at the beginning of this year there were more checked out than registered workers, which by now was never common. "In the canton Sarajevo there were 3.620 registrations of workers and 2.978 checkouts in November. In December, there were 2.529 registrations and 3.675 checkouts. In the first three weeks of January we have registered 2.752 requests for registration and 3.621 checkouts. There were almost 2.000 checked out workers in two months, which shows that we had a drastic droop of number of the employed", we have been told in the Institute. They claim that the checkout of workers goes on the basis of decision of the employer on cancelation of work relation.

"In December 2008., we have had 87 newly registered persons who have been left without job and who have achieved a remuneration from the Bureau. In December 2007., there were only 27 of them. We had an increase by 200%. We still have no data for January, but it is definite that we will have more than 100 of these persons", has been said by Stanko Vincetić, statistician in the Employment service of the Posavski canton.

He adds that none of these persons have got dismissed because they were guilty, but it was all because of the economic crisis, which was confirmed by the employers as well.

"Persons have been hired in domestic companies. In the next months we expect an inflow of 50 new persons, who were employed in one company from Netherland, and which because of the crisis has announced its extinction", Vincetić has said.

In the Employment service of the Srednjobosanski canton they say that in December 2008. the number of newly registered has been bigger by about 50 in relation to November. They still do not have the data for January, but are announcing that there will be around 100% more of the newly registered.

"The employees have got dismissed because of the recession by domestic companies which deal with production and export. Sending of the employees to waiting has also been announced by one Slovenian company. Because of the sudden increase of number of workers who have been left without job, the Employment service can come into situation that it is not able to pay the remunerations to all of them, to which they all legally have a right", has been said from the Employment service of the Srednjobosanski canton.

Nihad Pašalić, director of the Employment service of the Zeničko-dobojski canton, says that a number of dismissed persons has been increased in this canton as well.

"In December we have had 500 newly registered workers, while in January we have 500 submitted requests for financial remuneration of people who have been left without job. We have also evidenced 83 employees who have got dismissed and who were engaged in Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro", Pašalić has said.

The number of persons, who have got dismissed at the end of last and at the beginning of this year, is in a significant growth in the Unsko-sanski canton as well.

"In December we had 356 newly registered persons. The dismissal because of the recession has been received by 116 persons from the company 'Gorenje-Bira'. The request fro remuneration from the Bureau has been submitted by 531 persons in January", has been said by Mesud Mešić, director of the Employment service of the Unsko-sanski canton.

In the Employment service in Sarajevo, at the end of last year we have recorded an increase of number of dismissed workers. They say that a monthly average of newly registered in 2008. was 1.778, and 2.457 in December, which is by about 40% more than the average. Two thirds of workers in December have been registered at the Bureau because of the cancelation of work relation, which is by one part a consequence of economic crisis.

Nafija Hodo, director of the Employment service of the Bosansko-podrinjski canton, has said that in October 29 workers have got dismissed, and 59 in December.  

"It is about an increase by 40% in relation to the previous months in 2008., or by 25% in relation to the previous years. The reason is recession and there is really a reason to be worried", she has warned.

In the Employment service of the Hercegovačko-neretvanski canton they say that they have not recorded a drastic increase of number of people left without job, while we were not able to get the data from the services of the Livanjski and Zapadnohercegovački canton.