"OFFICIAL" ARMENIAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STANDS AT 7%
Natasha Harutyunyan

t/
2009/08/20 | 14:41

Society

Sona Harutyunyan, Director of the RoA State Employment Agency,
reported today that as of August 1 the unemployment figure for
Armenia stands at 7%, a 0.7 % rise from the start of the year. There
are 101,000 registered individuals now seeking work in the country,
of which more than 84,000 are officially registered as unemployed.

Women make up 71% of the unemployed and men 29%. 14% of those
registered as unemployed have a higher education degree.

Director Harutyunyan confessed that her agency’s unemployment figure
doesn’t correspond to the real figure which, in 2006, was pegged
at 26.6%. This was the figure arrived at with the assistance of the
World Bank, using United Nations methodology.

She stated that her agency had started a number of professional
training courses for those interested at that 700 individuals had
applied to date.

Director Harutyunyan stated that many young professionals remain
unemployed since they lack proper work experience and that this
poses a real risk to the Armenian economy. Many employers are wary
of employing those with little or no work experience.