The Romanian unemployment rate stood at 8.1 percent in January, with a total 740,982 persons having been registered at the county employment agencies, of whom 306,977 women, the National Employment Agency said in a release on Monday.

Most of the jobless were in the southern Dolj county (36,903 persons), while the lowest number of unemployed was recorded in the southern Ilfov county (4,226 persons).

As many as 459,158 of the total number of unemployed nationwide get benefit, while 281,824 have no unemployment benefit.

Women's joblessness rate stands at 7.3 percent.

The unemployment rate was below the national 8.1 percent in the following counties: Bucharest (2.4 pct), Ilfov (2.6 pct), Timis (4.4 pct), Bihor (6.2 pct), Cluj (6.5 pct), Constanta and Maramures (6.7 pct), Arad and Satu-Mare (7 pct), Iasi (7.4 pct), Giurgiu (7.5 pct), Botosani and Vrancea (7.7 pct).

The highest joblessness rate was recorded in the counties of Mures, Sibiu, Suceava and Valcea (8.4 pct), Braila (8.6 pct), Bistrita, Neamt and Tulcea (8.8 pct), Bacau and Dambovita (8.9 pct), Brasov (9.1 pct), Prahova (9.3 pct), Arges and Olt (9.5 pct), Calarasi (9.7 pct), Buzau (9.9 pct), Gorj, Harghita, Hunedoara and Salaj (11 pct), Caras Severin (11.2 pct), Galati (12 pct), Covasna and Ialomita (12.2 pct), Dolj (12.3 pct), Teleorman (12.7 pct), Alba (13.4 pct), Vaslui (13.5 pct) and Mehedinti (14.5 pct).

The unemployment rate was 7.8 in December and 4.9 in January 2009.