A substantial rise in joblessness has been typical for this time of year since 2008, according to the Statistics Office.

The increase is due to the beginning of a new academic year when many students finish their education and register at the Employment Service. Higher rates can also be attributed to the end of the summer season, the report says.

But the statisticians also point out that the October rate at 12.1% was still below the 12.5% registered in January.

A total of 110,886 were registered as unemployed in October, which is nearly as many as in the same month last year (110,905). But the figure went up on September by 5,445.

The total of people in employment was down for the fifth straight month by 1,200 to 807,141. Since May the total of people with a job decreased by 10,000.

Construction saw the most substantial decrease in the number of jobs (down 550), followed by the public administration (down nearly 480).

Slovenia's labour force (people in employment plus the unemployed) has been contracting substantially in recent years; from 950,000 in October 2008 to 918,000 this October. The number fell by more than 17,000 since October 2011.