Growing number of poor in Serbia

Belgrade, May. 07. 2010 (Serbia Today) - In Serbia about 720 000 people below the poverty line, with the number of poor beginning to increase for the first time since 2000 according to data by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. The growing trend of poverty was the theme of  the conference in Belgrade  "Serbia is hungry" Advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social policyLjubomir Pejakovic  said that the most vulnerable are the unemployed, especially older than 50 years,  disabled and families with children with disabilities.  Pejakovic announced the adoption of amendments to the Law on Social protection which will increase assistance to the poorest citizens.  According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in Serbia, there are about 720 000 unemployed people. More than 480,000 of them have been jobless for more than than one year. Women constitute 55 percent of the unemployed. The highest proportion of the unemployed is youth aged 25 to 29 years.  The data show that Serbia employs less than two million people, and that this number grows less every year. At the same time the number of retirees is growing and it presently stands at about 1.600.000.