Тhe average unemployment rate in Bulgaria kept going down and stood at 10.23% in April 2006, data of the ministry of labour and social policy showed. The total number of employed in the first quarter of 2006 increased by 17,000, compared to the corresponding period in 2005, preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) showed. The unemployment rate decreased by 1.91 percentage points year on year, while the number of unemployed dropped by 70,280. A total of 28,978 available jobs were announced at the labour bureaus in April 2006. Further 19,764 job vacancies were announced on the primary labour market and under government employment programmes.