Perfect Unemployment

According to data from Estonia's unemployment insurance fund, there are close to 90,000 registered unemployed in Estonia. "This is 13.2 percent of the employable workforce," said a ministry spokesman who also noted that Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar had pledged to employ 70,000 of them as reisisaatjad [bus attendants, -ed.] on the city's public transportation. The remaining 20,000 will be assigned to clean snow and ice from the walk in front of city hall. "John Maynard Keynes wrote that six percent unemployment was 'perfect,'" the mayor said to cheering crowds. "But I say the man never lived in Estonia." The mayor then encouraged Estonians to be proud of their accomplishments. "The EU says we're number two in alcoholism, but let's work together to show them who's number one in unemployment!"