UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL DECREASES BY 0.4% FROM BEGINNING OF 2008 IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. As of November 30, unemployment
level decreased in Armenia by 0.4% as compared with the beginning
of 2008 and made 6.3%. As Sona Haroutiunian, the Head of the State
Employment Service agency, reported at the December 8 press conference,
91 thousand citizens looking for a job are registered at the agency
at present. The highest unemployment level is recorded in the Syunik
region, which is followed by the Shirak, Lori, Kotayk, and Tavush
regions.

According to S. Haroutiunian, though the number of officially
registered unemployed is 6.3%, 27-28% real unemployment level is
often spoken about.

"These are also official data. It is people employed in the
agricultural sphere, who made use of land privatization, but have not
received a status by our current legislation: they are the concealed
employed people and the housewives who did not wish to be registered,"
he said.

In response to the question of what impact the world financial crisis
will have on Armenia, S. Haroutiunian said that the mining sphere
Armenian companies plan to dismiss 1655 employees: the biggest part
of dismissals falls to the Dino Gold Mining Company, which is going
to dismiss 60% or 725 employees and to reduce the salaries by 40%.

It was also mentioned that dismissals of employees are expected
not only in the mining, but also in the information technologies
sphere. However, as the agency head predicted it, the number of people
becoming unemployed due to the international crisis will not exceed 1%
in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress