Prague - The Czech Republic's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2008, the lowest in 12 years, government data showed Friday.

The July-September rate, based on EU-wide International Labour Organization (ILO) methodology, was down 0.8 percentage points year- on-year, the Czech Statistical Office said. But the fall would not hold.

"The trend came to an end. We saw by the end of the third quarter that the decrease will not continue," said Dalibor Holy, office's head of labour statistics.

The Czech economy had been troubled by labour shortages following an influx of foreign investors in recent years but companies are expected to cut jobs owing to falling demand amid the global financial crisis. (dpa)