Declining jobless rate new sign of improving Danish economy

An additional 8,000 Danes found new jobs in the first quarter of 2014, pushing the unemployment rate down 0.3 percent and bringing the number of new jobs created over the past year to 28,000, according to official numbers released Wednesday.
The job growth came amid a 0.9 percent first quarter growth rate, and according to the finance ministry provided further proof that the economy was pulling itself out of an economic decline that began in 2008.
"It has been a main priority for the government to get people back to work, so we are ecstatic that the figures are showing a growth in the job market," said Finance Minister Bjarne Corydon.
The job growth came despite a loss of 1,400 public-sector jobs during the first quarter of 2014, which had unions warning that the government should not take its foot off the accelerator just yet.
"The improvement in the Danish economy is creating a foundation for even more people to find jobs in 2014 and that is positive, but we still need to create a lot more jobs in the coming years," said Mette Hoerdum, the chief economist for LO, which represents public sector employees.