The employees of the Directorate of Labor have been busy since the beginning of the New Year. More than 100 people lost their jobs on January 1 following mass layoffs and these people have been registering themselves as unemployed.
To cope with the workload, the directorate has hired 20 new employees and opened a new office on Borgartún 7 in Reykjavík in addition to the directorate’s headquarters on Engjateigur, Morgunbladid reports.
Construction site in Iceland’s capital region in October 2008. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
The new service outlet is intended for foreign laborers and unemployed workers who are seeking employment overseas.
In 2008, almost 5,100 people lost their jobs in mass layoffs, 60 percent of which took place at the end of October. The Directorate of Labor estimates that 80 to 90 percent of these layoffs were undertaken at companies in the capital region.
According to information from the directorate, 1,100 other individuals will lose their jobs at the end of January following further mass layoffs and 400 at the end of February.
Most of the people who were laid off at the turn of the new year worked in construction. Others were involved in trade, manufacturing, service, the finance and insurance sector and the publishing and media sector.
Click here to read more about the rising unemployment rate in Iceland.
