LJUBLJANA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's unemployment figures stood at 48,353 at the close of December 2023, down by 9.1 percent compared to the end of 2022, the national Employment Service reported on Monday.

       The data indicated a 2.5 percent month-on-month increase, attributed in part to reduced demand for employees towards the year-end.

       "Per average there were 48,709 unemployed people per month in 2023, which is 14 percent less than in 2022," the Service said in a report, adding that the number of new jobs offered in 2023 was 4.8 percent lower than in 2022.

       Meanwhile, many companies are grappling with finding suitable workforce, which resulted in intensified pressure on wages. The nation's Statistical Office revealed last month that the average gross wage during the first ten months of 2023 increased by 10 percent over the corresponding period in 2022.