Unemployment Rate down to 4.4% in Iceland

The employment rate was 79.3% and the unemployment rate was 4.4%. The unemployment rate has decreased by 1.3 percentage points from August 2012 when it was 5.7%.

Unemployment 4.4% in August

The number of persons in the labour force in August 2013 was 188,300 which corresponds to an activity rate of 82.9%. The number of employed persons was 180,000 and unemployed persons were 8,300. The employment rate was 79.3% and the unemployment rate was 4.4%. The unemployment rate has decreased by 1.3 percentage points from August 2012 when it was 5.7%.  In August 2013 the male unemployment rate was 4.6% compared to 4.9% in August 2012 and the female unemployment rate was 4.2% compared to 6.7% in August 2012.

 Labour force August 2013

Seasonally adjusted unemployment 4.9%

The seasonally adjusted data shows that in August 2013 the number of people in the labour force was 186,900 or 82.5% activity rate compared to 183,400 and 80.7% in July. The number of unemployed persons amounted to 9.200 or 4.9% which is the same as in July.

The number of seasonally adjusted employed persons in August was 177,700 or 78.4% compared to 174,200 and 76.7% in July.  The seasonally adjusted trend data shows little or no change for the last six months both in numbers and percentage. The twelve month trend for activity has increased 1.6%, employment has increased by 2.4% and unemployment has decreased by 1.6%.

Implementation 

August 2013 is divided in to four weeks, from the 29th of July to 1st of September 2013. The total sample size was 1,505 persons, 16–74 years randomly chosen from the Population Register. When those who had passed away or those who were living abroad had been deducted from the sample the net sample was 1,465 persons. In total the number of usable answers was 1,186 which correspond to 80.4% response rate. All figures have been weighted by sex and age groups. The confidence limit of the results on activity rate is ±2 points, employment rate is ±2.2% and unemployment rate is ±1.3%. Figures may not add up because of rounding.

Source: Statistics Iceland

Iceland24, September 2013

New 10000 ISK Icelandic banknote out today!

The Central Bank of Iceland introduced a new ten thousand krónur banknote today. The face of natural scientist and poet Jónas Hallgrímsson appears on the bill, as well as the Eurasian golden plover. Hallgrímsson was interested in the plover and mentioned her in some of his poems.

Photo by Kristinn Ingvarsson

The new banknote will go into circulation in late October this year. It has 4 zeros, but the banknote with the most zeros in history is the Zimbabwe 100 Trillion Dollars bill, issued in 2009, with 14 zeros.

The new 10.000 ISK banknote was designed by Kristín Þorkelsdóttir, who also designed Iceland’s other denominations. The blue note measures 172 x 70 mm, and is protected by the following security features: a watermark of Jon Sigurdsson with electrotype 10.000 and Cornerstones, 18-mm wide Optiks security thread, UV printing, intaglio printing, microprinting, and raised horizontal bars to assist the sight-impaired.

In 1981, the Icelandic króna was revalued, due to hyperinflation, with 100 old krónur being worth 1 new króna. Had that not been done, we would now be looking at a 1.000.000 ISK banknote.

This makes the first time since 1986 - when the 5,000 ISK bill was first pressed - that a new Icelandic bill was put into circulation. Whether or not most people will ever hold a 10,000 ISK bill themselves remains to be seen.

Source: Goiceland.is
Iceland24, September 2013

New CD from Emiliana Torrini

'Tookah' is Torrini's fourth album, her first since the acclaimed 'Me And Armini' in 2008.

The album sees Emiliana back in the studio with her long term producer / collaborator Dan Carey. This pedigree pairing of Emiliana’s songwriting and Carey’s sonic alchemy has already combined to world beating effect when they co-wrote/produced Kylie Mynogue’s hit ‘Slow’.

‘Tookah’ is an ambitious pop record and is in part inspired by Emiliana having become a mother for the first time. The work is described as an 'aspirational synth pop album' and was recorded with a new band, with additional writing contributions coming from band members Simon Bryt & Ian Kellett.

So what does the title 'Tookah' mean? Emiliana, who created the word, tells us: 'Tookah is when you feel yourself, the one you can always turn to. It is kind of the inner god I guess you feel when you have a feeling of everything being possible, when you feel happy, thankful and when you live from love. I call it Tookah."

There is also a nod to her native Iceland here, notably with the track ‘Home’, conceived as an ode to her son. Inspirations for this album also include the dancing sequence in the 1987 Wim Wenders film ‘Wings Of Desire’, as were Eric Satie's 'old piano works', an old programme Emiliana remembers called ‘Danish Lessons’ plus rather unexpectedly, ‘Snowflakes Are Dancing’ by Tomita (1974) the electronic classical record of Debussy interpretations.

And here is the lead single, 'Speed Of Dark'...

Source: News of Iceland
Iceland24, September 2013