In January 2001, the unemployment rate stood at 18.54%. The highest unemployment was registered in Turgovishte (Northeastern Bulgaria), 34.96%, and the lowest in Sofia, 4.77%, the National Employment Service (NES) said in a press release. There were 708,729 unemployed on record in Bulgaria in January, or 25,937 more compared to the same month of 2000. The reason for the increase is limited opportunities for seasonal work in winter and the closure of inefficient productions, the NES said