Prague  - The Czech Republic's unemployment rate fell a notch, to 8.5 per cent, in October, down from 8.6 per cent the previous month, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs said Monday.

The slight decline, however, does not signal an end to the economic crisis, analysts said.

The decrease in the number of job seekers registered with state labour authorities, a figure on which the ministry's unemployment rate is based, was seasonal, they said.

The Central European country's export-driven economy has suffered from reduced demand for its goods, chiefly in Western Europe.

The October jobless rate was up 3.3 percentage points year-on- year, ministry data showed. (dpa)