The average twelve-month growth of inflation was 2.5% in November 2012, compared to 1.8% in the same period last year. The biggest increase in prices on annual level was recorded in the restaurants and hotels group (by 9.7%) and in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (by 9.5%).

The prices were down in communications group (by 3.3%), clothing and footwear (by 1.7%) and in furnishing, household equipment and maintenance (by 1.2%). At the annual level, the biggest price hikes in the food and non-alcoholic beverages group were registered with fruit (+11.8%) and vegetables (+9.8%).

The prices of goods went up by 2.4% on average in a year, and the prices of services by 2.3%. November saw a fourth drop in consumer prices this year. This time the prices decreased by 0.1%. Monthly growth rate was reduced by 0.2 percentage points due to lower prices of fuels and lubricants.

The growth rate was additionally reduced by price drops in the housing group, especially of gas (by 6.7%). On the other hand, solid fuels prices went up by 1.6% and the prices of services for maintenance and repair of housing by 1.3% The prices of goods on the monthly level were down by 0.3%, while the prices of services were up by just as much. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU-compatible gauge, consumer prices decreased by 0.2% in November and increased by 2.8% at the annual level.

Unemployment is in meantime the highest since the survey began in 1993, the Statistics Office said on Friday. The number of the unemployed rose by 13.8% to 94,000, the fourth consecutive year of growth.

The labour force meanwhile numbered 925,000, 5,000 more than in the second quarter but 19,000 less than in the same period last year.

Survey unemployment is an international gauge used by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the EU's statistical office Eurostat.