(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 11 GIU - The unemployment rate in Albania dropped to 12.1% in the first quarter of the year, the Albanian Institute of statistics (Instat) said in a statement. According to Instat, the official unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2018 and by 0.2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. In the first quarter of 2019, the labour force participation rate for the population aged 15-64 was 69.0%, 1.0% higher year-on year and 0.3% higher on a quarterly basis, Instat said. In the same period, the employment rate for the population 15-64 is 60.3%, +1.9% on a yearly basis, with a stronger growth in the industry sector (+3.0%) and in the services (+3.6%). (ANSA).