UNEMPLOYED STANDING NEW CHANCE TO FIND JOB IN YEREVAN

ARKA
June 13, 2008

YEREVAN, June 13. /ARKA/. The first Labor Club in Yerevan opened today
in the Erebuni Job Center with the assistance of the World Bank (WB).

The club will provide job seekers with career information and will
comfort them in a difficult situation, according to Artak Simonyan,
deputy director of the Job Centre.

He believes the club can help bring employers and job seekers together.

"For this purpose, representatives of local governments, large
employers and chairmen of non-profit organizations will conduct various
workshops in the club," Simonyan said at the club’s opening ceremony.

In his turn, Head of the Municipal Administration of Erebuni community
Harutyun Sargsyan expressed hope that new labor clubs will open in
Yerevan soon.

"I believe the club’s activities will help reduce unemployment in
Yerevan," he said.

According to Head of the WB Employment Program Agnes Senkoff, this
is only part of the bank’s projects in Armenia.

She said WB put forth efforts to reduce unemployment in Armenia by
organizing career fairs and opening job centers.

According to Senkoff, this is the second labor club in Armenia. The
first one opened in Syunik region a couple of days ago.

The club will work twice a week from 11:00 till 13:00 at the initial
stage.

Later, it will be open all working days.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, unemployment rate was
6.3% in Armenia in January-April 2008 against 7.3% in the corresponding
period last year.

Economically active population had totaled 90,900 people by late
April. At present, 76,300 people are job seekers in Armenia with
18,300 in Yerevan.