Persons aged 15-74 who simultaneously fulfill three conditions:

- in the reference week were not employed;

- were actively looking for work, i.e. for over 4 weeks (the reference week being the fourth one) had been involved in concrete actions aimed at finding a job;

- were available to take up work in the following time: according to LFS - during two weeks after the reference week; according to Census 2002 and Census 2011 - in the reference week or the following week.

Persons who were not seeking work because they had already found a job and were only waiting to start work within the period no longer that 3 months - and additionally in LFS were ready to take it up, are also included in the category of the unemployed.