The number of the unemployed in Chisinau rose four times in December 2008 compared to the similar period in the previous years. According to the head of the Chisinau employment agency, la Supac, more than one thousand people were registered as unemployed in December alone, Info-Prim Neo reports. Supac told Monday's ordinary meeting at the City Hall that more and more people are applying for an unemployment certificate to be eligible for heating benefits. “Most of those who registered themselves as unemployed in December had not been working for quite a while, I guess since the 90s. The wave of applications for the status of unemployed erupted in the second half of November”, said Supac, suggesting that it was triggered by the announcement that the municipality would partially compensate the vulnerable people for the heating costs. At the same time, she assumed that many of them have a job, but do not have an employment contract. Ala Supac said the agency issues certificates of unemployment only to those for whom the agency doesn't have an appropriate offer, that is a job according to their education or skills. If they are offered a job and refuse it, certificates are not issued. “The fact that someone produces an unemployment certificate doesn't necessarily mean that he earns less than 1,450 lei a month”, said Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. According to Petru Gontea, head of the municipal housing division, after the City Council at its latest meeting rejected a series of modifications to the regulation on the dispensation of heating benefits, the number of applications reduced. So far roughly 10,000 households in Chisinau have applied for heating compensations. For 1,804 apartments, the heating bills will be recalculated, and this means a subtraction of 455,000 lei from the city coffers. At present domestic consumers are charged 542 lei for a Gcal of heat. Those whose monthly earnings are lower than 1,450 lei may request a compensation of 40 percent of the heating bill.